Have some fun, predict the future.

 A friend of mine sent me an email that talked about what a difference a century makes. He circulated the information, and it is interesting, and some of it is not true. So, here is a table tha it more realistic. His original 1925 stats are a colourful mix, some accurate (like home births), others more legend than fact.

The correct information from Wikipedia, so take with a grain of salt.

 Life expectancy for men: 47 years

• For the total U.S. population, life expectancy in 1925 was 58.5 years, according to demographic data Wikipedia.

• The “47 years” figure refers to life expectancy at birth in 1900, not 1925 Wikipedia.

• Thus, 58.5 is the accurate 1925 figure.

2. Eggs cost 14¢ a dozen

• USDA data for 1925 shows average egg prices in Washington state were about 32¢ per dozen NASS.

• Additional sources say 26¢ to 47¢—but 14¢ appears too low FacebookOne Tube Radio.

• A realistic average: around 30¢ per dozen

3. Other claims

• Fuel sold in pharmacies, bathtub in only 14% of homes, phones in only 8%, speed limits 10 mph, flag had 45 stars, etc.—these all stem from a nostalgic “What a difference a century makes” post, probably circa 1917/early-1900s Facebook.

• Many are evocative rather than rigorously accurate.

• Without independent verification,  treat them as “interesting period lore” but flag them as anecdotal or needing confirmation.

4. Average income & wages

• Average net income in 1924 was $3,481.26 IRS.

• IPUMS data suggest per-capita earnings in 1925 were $1,276 IPUMS USA.

• The bold claims of $200–$400/year etc., seem off, likely underestimates or misremembered.

5. Home births

• In the early 1920s, only around 5% of U.S. women gave birth in hospital; thus, about 95% of births took place at home does appear correct

Life expectancy was not 47 in 1925, that was circa 1900. It had risen to ~58.5 by 1925.

Eggs cost closer to 30¢ a dozen, not 14¢.

Income was in the low thousands (per-capita/net income ~ $3,500).

Once I found credible information, I created a time-travelling thought experiment, inviting us to stretch our imagination from 1925 to 2125!

Item

1925

2025 (inflation-adjusted or real)

2125 (futurist projection)

Life expectancy at birth (men)

~58.5 years

~78.5 years (today)

100+ years? (Genetic senescence therapies may push the average to ~120)

Eggs (dozen)

~30¢

~$4.50

~$67 (unless synthetic eggs disrupt pricing)

Fuel sold in pharmacies (lore)

True as an anecdote

Now, EV charging stations are everywhere

Biofuel kiosks are dosing air taxis at corner shops

Bathtubs in homes

~14%

~98–100%

Hydrotherapy pods are standard in every bathroom

Telephone ownership

~8%

~95% (smartphones)

Neural implants for communication

Births at home

~95%

<1% (nearly all hospitals)

AI-assisted at-home pod-birth with virtual doula

Average income per year

~$3,480

~$50,000–$60,000 (median today)

Unconditional basic income of $50k+ annual

The five main causes of death in 1925 were:
1. Pneumonia and flu
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

Current  Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.

The top five causes, based on CDC data and recent reporting, are:

1. Heart disease – the leading cause

2. Cancer (malignant neoplasms) – second

3. Unintentional injuries (e.g., accidents, opioid overdoses) – third CDC+1New York Post

4. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) – fourth CDC New York Post

5. Chronic lower respiratory diseases – fifth (though Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others follow closely) CDC+1

A notable shift: COVID-19, once near the top in 2020–2021, has declined to around the 10th leading cause by 2023

Looking ahead, here is what one futurist predicted would be the leading causes of death in 2 Possible Top 5 Causes in 2125:

1. Neurodegeneration (e.g., Alzheimer’s and emerging brain diseases)

   • As lifespans stretch past 100, age-related neurological conditions could dominate.

2. Cardiometabolic system failure from aging (e.g., heart failure, arrhythmias)

   • Even with gene therapies, wear-and-tear and electrical dysfunctions (like advanced AFib) may persist, Statesman.

3. Novel pandemics or climate-related infectious threats

   • Imagine engineered viruses, climate-triggered zoonoses, or antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” rising.

4. AI/tech-related fatalities (e.g., malfunction, autonomous vehicle disasters)

   • If technology is deeply embedded—autonomous systems, cyborg implants, etc.—risks from malfunctions or cyberattacks could become significant.

5. Mental health crises leading to self-harm

   • Loneliness, digital dependence, or VR-related dissociation might drive this category.

Here  is the original post that helped me do some research

The year 1924. Already a hundred years ago

What difference does a century make? Here are some statistics for the year 1924:

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for cars was only sold in pharmacies.
Only 14% of houses had a bathtub.
Only 8% of households had a telephone.
The maximum speed limit in most towns was 10mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average wage in the United States in 1925 was 22 cents an hour.
The average American worker earned between $200 and $400 a year.
A competent accountant can expect to earn $2,000 per year.
A dentist earned $2,500 a year.
A veterinarian earns between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer approximately $5,000 per year.
More than 95% of all births took place at home
Ninety percent of all doctors have attended so-called medical schools, many of which have been condemned by the press and, by the government as being "substandard".
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs cost fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from enteringtheir country for whatever reason.
The five main causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and flu
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars...
The population of Las Vegas was only 30 people.
Crosswords, canned beer and iced tea had not yet been invented.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of 10 adults could neither read nor write, and only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter in local pharmacies.
At the time, pharmacists said: "Heroin clarifies the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, intestines and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.
Surprising, isn't it!
Eighteen percent of households had at least one servant or full-time domestic help... Often, it was a single person, or an immigrant parent newly arrived in America.
There have been approximately 230 reported murders across the ENTIRE United States.
Who would have thought that in 1925, you could receive this text in a few clicks, and now you can transmit it to someone else anywhere in the WORLD in seconds!
Can we imagine today what we will be able to do in 100 years?

Not really. 

See you in 100 years...