How likely is it to die from a stroke? how long does it take to recover if you get one and survive?

It is highly variable. Recovery from small strokes is fast and often complete. Only the major strokes lead to delayed recovery or death.

"Among persons 45 to 64 years old, 8-12% of ischemic strokes and 37-38% of hemorrhagic strokes result in death within 30 days."
Four years ago, I had a hemorrhagic stroke (ruptured blood vessel in my brain) and the damage was said to be massive. The doctors thought most likely I would not survive, but if I did, I would likely be forever in a vegetative state. I couldn't speak or swallow and was totally paralized on my right side. A year later my doctor called me his "miracle patient of the year". I was in therapy for walking about a year and 18 months for my arm. I volunteered in the Rehab wing of the hospital where I was treated for 2 years after I relearned to walk. Strokes affect everyone differently and recovery is just as varied. While some may remain moderately to severely handicapped, a very few may make an almost full recovery. How much recovery one can make is totally unpredictable.
I think that this old saying applies well....Hope and pray for the best, but be prepared for the worst.....

Strokes are caused by either blockage of an artery in the brain or by hemorrhage through a hole in the wall of a brain artery. Either way, there will likely be damage to the nearby brain with some loss of brain tissue function. How much damage depends upon the size of the artery, the amount of bleeding, or the amount of the brain which dies. At the beginning there may be some brain swelling and when the swelling goes down, some of the bad effects will lessen and there will be an improvement. The amount of time depends upon how large an area and which area of the brain is damaged.

People don't always die from strokes, but they are commonly disabled by them, and recovery varies depending on how bad the damage was - it could take a year. Sometimes they could never get better... it really depends on each individual person.

The older you are the harder it is to recover.
It also depends on how sever the stroke was

Here's a really good site that might help you with your question: http://www.healthlessonsonline.com/