Which class of passengers had the highest survival rate on the Titanic?

First-class passengers had the highest overall survival rate on the Titanic. About 62% of first-class passengers survived, compared with roughly 42% of second-class passengers and 25% of third-class passengers in commonly cited casualty tables.

Several factors contributed to this difference. First-class accommodation was generally closer to the boat deck, and first-class passengers had easier access to stewards, information, and the areas where lifeboats were launched. Wealthier passengers were also more likely to understand English instructions and to be travelling with fewer children or large family groups than many third-class passengers.

The figures were strongly shaped by the period’s “women and children first” practice. First-class women and children survived at especially high rates, while many first-class men remained behind. Crew members are sometimes included as a comparison group, but they were not passengers, so the quiz’s wording correctly asks which passenger class did best.

The pattern was not uniform for every individual. Some third-class women and children survived, while many first-class men died, including John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim. Class improved the overall odds, but sex, age, location, timing, and access to lifeboats also mattered.