How long will $1 million last in retirement?

It depends mostly on how much you take out each year. At $40,000 a year rising with inflation, $1 million lasts about 34 years with a 5% return. At $80,000 a year it lasts about 14.

By the Calcist team · Updated October 26, 2026 · About a 4-minute read

Years your savings last

Each cell is the number of years the money lasts if you withdraw the amount shown in the first year, raise the withdrawal by 3% a year for inflation, and the remaining balance earns 5% a year.

Savings	$40,000 a year	$60,000	$80,000	$100,000	$150,000
$400,000	11	7	5	4	3
$500,000	14	9	7	5	3
$700,000	21	13	9	7	5
$800,000	25	15	11	9	6
$1 million	34	20	14	11	7
$1.5 million	50+	34	23	17	11
$2 million	50+	50+	34	25	15
$3 million	50+	50+	50+	44	25
$4 million	50+	50+	50+	50+	37
$5 million	50+	50+	50+	50+	50+

Withdrawals are taken at the start of each year. "50+" means the money lasts at least 50 years. Worked out year by year; Social Security, pensions and taxes are not included.

What changes the answer most

Withdrawal rate: taking 4% of the starting balance ($40,000 from $1 million) makes savings last far longer than taking 8%.
Returns, especially early on: a market fall in the first few years of retirement does more damage than the same fall later ("sequence of returns" risk).
Inflation: a withdrawal that keeps pace with prices grows every year.
Other income: Social Security or a pension means you need to take less from savings.

Run your own numbers

Use the how long will my money last calculator with your balance, withdrawal, return and inflation, or test good and bad markets with the retirement withdrawal calculator.

Every worked example on this page was checked with Calcist's own engine and an independent reference.

Questions people ask

How long will $1 million last in retirement?

About 34 years if you withdraw $40,000 the first year and raise it 3% a year, with a 5% return. At $60,000 a year it's about 20 years, and at $100,000 about 11.

How long will $2 million last in retirement?

At $80,000 a year rising with inflation and a 5% return, about 34 years. At $100,000 a year, about 25 years.

How long will $500,000 last in retirement?

About 14 years at $40,000 a year rising with inflation, with a 5% return, and about 9 years at $60,000.

What is the 4% rule?

A rule of thumb: withdraw 4% of your savings in the first year, then adjust for inflation. Historically it lasted about 30 years in most US market periods, but it isn't a guarantee.