Smokers Pay 235% More For Life Insurance

Flickr / Nicoletta CiunciHow much does life insurance cost?

Well, it depends. If you're a smoker, you can expect a steep price tag.

A new report from InsuranceQuotes.com highlights how much the cost of a life insurance policy changes depending on age, sex, and lifestyle, and that the change is pretty significant.

Smokers see the most drastic price increase. On average, they pay 235% more than non-smokers of the same age and sex.

According to InsuranceQuotes.com, a "smoker" isn't only a chain smoker - in this context, the term also includes recreational and social smokers, and even users of e-cigarettes.

When it comes to age, on average:

- 25-year-olds will pay 27% less than 35-year-olds
- 45-year-olds will pay a staggering 120% more than 35-year-olds

No matter what their age, men will pay an average of 38% more than women for the exact same policies.

By that logic, it's most expensive to get life insurance as an older man who smokes. The chart below shows that he would pay nearly $11,000 more per year than his non-smoking counterpart.

Locking in a better rate while you're young and healthy is one of the chief reasons insurance companies will use to convince younger people to sign up for life insurance, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee you'll pay less over the duration of your policy.

Ultimately, it comes down to running the numbers for your own individual estimates, seeing what your budget can handle, and asking yourself: Is it worth it?