Data Finds about One-Fifth of Americans are Smokers

9/08/2010

One potentially useful statistic for insurance agents to be aware of is that on average, about one in five of their life insurance customers will be smokers.

This is relevant to the industry because smokers are typically charged higher premiums based on their higher risk to be diagnosed with cancer or a chronic health condition like heart disease, resulting in a shorter life expectancy in the process.

Even life insurance customers who have survived a past bout with cancer are likely to be charged higher premiums by many companies based on such concerns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20.6 percent of the U.S. population consisted of smokers in 2009. This figure was said to be unchanged since 2008 and barely lower than the 20.9 percent that was recorded in 2004.

However, the CDC also noted that those who do continue to smoke appear to be doing so less frequently, which may be due to the higher taxes on tobacco that many states have introduced in recent years. For example, actual cigarette sales reportedly fell 8.3 percent in 2009.

ShareThis