Image featuring a woman with blond hair looking at the cellphone while sitting on a leather couch.

The Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index, September 2021

Published|2 min read

Policygenius content follows strict guidelines for editorial accuracy and integrity. Learn about our editorial standards and how we make money.

As COVID-19 cases rise, life insurance prices stay the same

As September marks Life Insurance Awareness Month, it’s a great time to consider purchasing coverage. Prices remain low and some insurers have dropped application restrictions that they had implemented at the start of the pandemic. 

Pricing stability also continues to be an ongoing trend, regardless of the economic impact of COVID-19. There were no significant changes to life insurance prices from August to September, even with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths across the U.S. due to the Delta variant. 

Prices remained static despite a new report from the Social Security and Medicare Trustees that projects mortality rates will be elevated by 15% this year because of the pandemic. The report also forecasts that mortality rates across the country will be higher than usual through 2023, when they are expected to fall to 1% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This is just one of many reports released by the federal government this year that cites the pandemic as the cause of increased deaths and shorter life expectancies for Americans. Insurers haven’t responded to previous reports with pricing changes, either.

U.S. monthly averages as of September 1, 2021

Term life insurance for non-smokers

The chart below shows average monthly premium prices for a 20-year term life insurance policy for non-smokers in a Preferred health classification; quotes are based on the Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index Methodology.

Age / Sex

$250K coverage amount

$500K coverage amount

$1M coverage amount

25 year old female

$14.25

$21.14

$34.31

25 year old male

$17.17

$27.00

$44.90

35 year old female

$16.54

$25.47

$42.75

35 year old male

$18.78

$30.37

$51.87

45 year old female

$28.49

$47.53

$86.15

45 year old male

$35.39

$60.76

$113.52

55 year old female

$60.42

$108.17

$206.22

55 year old male

$84.20

$151.54

$287.11

Collapse table

U.S. monthly averages as of September 1, 2021

Term life insurance for smokers

The chart below shows average monthly premium prices for a 20-year term life insurance policy for smokers in a Preferred health classification; quotes are based on the Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index Methodology.

Age / Sex

$250K coverage amount

$500K coverage amount

$1M coverage amount

25 year old female

$35.23

$59.72

$110.74

25 year old male

$43.63

$74.84

$139.01

35 year old female

$45.07

$79.46

$145.98

35 year old male

$53.79

$94.80

$179.27

45 year old female

$90.80

$166.52

$318.66

45 year old male

$122.68

$228.56

$439.72

55 year old female

$200.33

$371.91

$717.86

55 year old male

$291.19

$536.46

$1039.87

Collapse table

How our index works

Life insurance prices are primarily based on life expectancy; taking into account an applicant’s age, health, hobbies, and medical history. The riskier you are to insure or the shorter your life expectancy, the higher your rates will be.

Prices are also affected by the length of a policy and the amount of coverage someone is looking to purchase. A longer policy term or higher coverage amount might increase monthly or annual premiums. Policygenius generally recommends people buy life insurance 10 to 15 times their individual income with a term long enough to get them to retirement age. Since there are a lot of variables involved, we specialize in helping consumers get the right policy to fit their individual needs.

Policygenius transforms the insurance journey for today’s consumer, providing a one-stop platform where customers can compare options from top insurance carriers, get unbiased expert advice, buy policies, and manage their insurance portfolio, in one seamless, integrated experience. Our proprietary technology platform integrates with the leading life, disability, and home and auto insurance carriers and delivers an exceptional digital experience for both consumers and insurance carriers. Since 2014, our content, digital tools, and experts have served as a resource for millions of people on their insurance journey, and we have sold more than $160 billion in coverage.

Find your best life insurance prices today.

Methodology: The prices displayed above are based on internal actuarial rate tables for 10 life insurance carriers that offer policies through the Policygenius marketplace (AIG, Banner Life, Brighthouse, Lincoln Financial, Mutual of Omaha, Pacific Life, Protective, Prudential, SBLI and TransAmerica). The prices represent the average monthly life insurance premium for each sample customer profile (age, gender) and policy type (term, coverage amount) as of September 1, 2021. Monthly averages are based on 11 products available through Policygenius for the indicated profile; rates for those products may vary by state, and not all 11 products are available in all states. Individual rates may vary, depending on age, gender, state, health profile, and other eligibility criteria. The index is updated each month.

Image: Sarah Mason / Getty

Questions about this page? Email us at .