New figures have shown stark divides across the UK in areas with the highest and lowest life expectancy.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the 10 areas with the highest life expectancies for both women and men were in southern England. The vast majority of areas with the lowest life expectancy were in Scotland and northern England.
In the most extreme instances, the difference was as high as 10 years.
For example, a baby boy born in Blackpool, Lancashire between 2021 and 2023 is currently likely to live for an average of 73.1 years. In contrast, a baby boy born in Hart, Hampshire had a life expectancy of 83.4.
Glasgow, which has been bottom of the chart since the data series was started in 2001, fared slightly better for male life expectancy, at 73.6 years.
However, the Scottish city remained bottom for women, at 78.26 years – more than a year less than next lowest ranked of East Ayrshire.
Of everyone born in the UK between 2021-23, the longest lived is likely to be a girl in Kensington & Chelsea, who would be expected to live to 86.46 – roughly six months longer than she would have been predicted to before the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID impact
In most areas, figures show life expectancy has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Greg Ceely, ONS head of population health monitoring, said: “Today’s data show a decline in life expectancy in most areas during 2021 to 2023, compared with the period of 2017 to 2019.
“This suggests we are yet to see a recovery from the decrease in life expectancy we saw during the pandemic.”
Slough saw the biggest fall in male life expectancy at birth compared to pre-pandemic figures, dropping from 79.1 years in 2017-19, to 77.1 in 2021-23.
Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, and North Devon recorded the next largest falls, dropping from 77.5 years to 75.6 and from 80.6 years to 78.9 respectively.
For female life expectancy at birth, the biggest fall was recorded in Na h-Eileanan Siar, where the figure decreased from 83.3 years in 2017-19 to 81.2 years in 2021-23.
The next largest falls were in Epsom & Ewell in Surrey, down from 87.0 years to 85.4, and Leicester, down from 82.2 years to 80.6.
Highest five areas for life expectancy in 2021-23:
(pre-pandemic figure for 2017-19)
Men:
-
Hart 83.44 years (83.21 years)
-
Uttlesford 82.96 (82.78)
-
Wokingham 82.54 (82.27)
-
Richmond upon Thames 82.48 (82.39)
-
South Cambridgeshire 82.47 (82.87)
Women:
Lowest five areas for life expectancy in 2021-23:
(pre-pandemic figure for 2017-19)
Men:
Women:
-
Blaenau Gwent 78.98 (80.13)
-
Blackpool 78.93 (79.69)
-
North Lanarkshire 78.69 (79.56)
-
East Ayrshire 78.58 (79.76)
-
Glasgow 78.26 (78.32)
