The “Who Wants to Live Forever” database is out, linking longevity percentages to survey questions and sources
The “Who Wants to Live Forever” database is out, linking longevity percentages to survey questions and sources
On 31 August, the database compiler Maxim Elisov announced its release. Version 1.1.3 of the survey registry and the visual dashboard contains 185 sources, 2 404 numerical observations, and 37 charts. For each result, the database records the question, survey conditions, and original source.
The dashboard includes two US survey records from 2025 about living to the age of one hundred. In one survey, respondents choose their desired lifespan themselves, and 30 % select one hundred years. In the other, a direct yes or no question receives affirmative responses from 49 %. Another pair of surveys finds that 57 % want to live for 120 years or longer, while 74 % want to do so if they remain in perfect health.
Each pair comes from separate surveys, so the database keeps the records distinct. To measure the effect of wording itself, Elisov proposes randomly assigning different versions of the question to participants within a single sample and measuring the difference in responses. This experiment would show how question wording affects the answer.
Elisov spent six months collecting articles and surveys. On 6 August, he explained the purpose of the planned dashboard:
“I want this to provide more than attractive figures for Twitter, although those are also valuable and useful. I also want it to serve as a navigation tool for researchers.”
Each record links the reported figure to the wording of the question, the year, the sample size, and the original source. Fields remain empty when the publication does not disclose the relevant information. The indicator field contains the technical name of the measure. Records can be compared directly when they have the same name. The desire to live forever and the desire to reach the age of one hundred remain separate measures.
The dashboard recommends that future surveys ask a single sample about the value respondents place on a long life, their willingness to use a specific intervention, and whether they have taken action. The coverage map identifies where new data are needed. Russia and the US account for more than half of the national indicators, while 57 of 109 countries have only one indicator. The next survey could focus on these gaps and compare different question wordings within a single sample.