Figures out this morning show a decline in life expectancy over the last ten years
From the decade 2012–14 to 2022–24, healthy life expectancy in the UK fell by about 2 years, to 60.7 years for males and 60.9 years for females. England, Scotland and Wales all saw steep declines, while the fall in Northern Ireland was more modest.
The vast majority of local areas in Great Britain saw a decline over the decade, with healthy life expectancy having now fallen below the state pension age of 66 years in more than 90% of areas. In more than 1 in 10 local areas, healthy life expectancy is below 55 years.
Healthy life expectancy has fallen significantly in the North, and is now below state pension age pretty much everywhere in the region.
Of 21 high-income countries, the UK is one of only five that saw healthy life expectancy fall between 2011 and 2021, and had the second steepest decline.
As a result, the UK has fallen from 14th to 20th out of these countries – only the United States now has a lower healthy life expectancy.
Healthy life expectancy is strongly associated with deprivation. In England, healthy life expectancy is highest in Richmond upon Thames, one of the least deprived areas in the country, at 69.3 years for males and 70.3 years for females in 2022–24.
This means residents would, on average, remain in good health several years beyond state pension age.
In contrast, healthy life expectancy is lowest in Blackpool for males (50.9 years) and Hartlepool for females (51.2 years), both among the most deprived areas. In these places, people would, on average, experience the onset of ill health almost 15 years before reaching state pension age
The people behind the report, The Health Foundation say that say the findings reinforce growing evidence about declining health in the UK, particularly among the working-age population. Successive governments have failed to take the long-term action needed to address this, resulting in a growing economic and fiscal impact as well as a substantial human cost.
A new approach is needed to rebuild the UK’s health that puts improving health on a par with delivering economic growth at the heart of government policy.
This should be supported by cross-government action on the wider factors that shape people’s health, a shift to prevention and a new strategy to address economic and health inequalities.
