A decade more of life and two decades extra in good health for those born in the wealthiest parts of the country compared to the poorest

Boys born in the wealthiest areas of the country can expect to live more than a decade longer than those born in the most deprived areas of England, new ONS data reveals today (Wednesday 15 April).  

Life expectancy for boys born between 2022 and 2024 in the least deprived areas of England was 83.6 years compared to 73.2 years for boys born in the most deprived areas. 

Girls born in the wealthiest parts of England can expect to live more than eight years longer (86.4 years) than girls born in the most deprived areas (78.3 years).  

Children born in the most deprived areas of the country in 2022 and 2024 are also projected to enjoy less than 50 years of their lives in good health – for boys, this is the first time since records began that this has dropped below 50. 

For women, being born in the wealthiest parts of the country ensures more than two decades longer in good health (68.5 years) than compared to girls born in the England’s most deprived areas (48.2 years). Women in the poorest areas can expect to spend more than 30 years of their lives in poor health compared to 23 years for men. The number of years lived in poor health is the highest recorded for both men and women at all levels of deprivation.

Healthy life expectancy at birth in the most deprived areas of England was 49.8 years for men, that equates to almost 20 fewer years of good health compared to boys born in the wealthiest parts of the country. 

Only those men living in the wealthiest 10% of areas in the country, and top 20% for women, have a healthy life expectancy higher than the new state pension age of 67 – again raising questions whether it is feasible for large swathes of the population to be able to stay in work up to increasingly higher state pension age limits. 

Dr Aideen Young, Head of Research and Analysis at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:

“The state pension age has now increased to 67 and is likely to be even higher for children born now, but many people in the most deprived areas of England and Wales will be in poor health, with many likely forced out of the labour market, long before their supposed retirement age.  

“While the number of years spent in good health have declined everywhere in England, the drop is greatest for those in the most deprived areas. In fact, the healthy life expectancy at birth of men and women in the most deprived areas of England has dropped by 2.2 and 3.2 years. That means that for the poorest men in England healthy life expectancy has dropped below the age of 50 for the first time.  

“The stark inequalities in England mean that people experience two very separate and distinct lives depending on the financial circumstances they are born into and live through. Those living in the poorest areas have financial worries that are compounded by their health worries. It’s a matter of national shame that so many older people are leading lives of misery.  

“We cannot continue treating this as an issue to be dealt with at another time, it should be front and centre of this government’s approach. We need all government departments to be thinking about how policies can better shape how we all live our later lives, tackling the inequalities and unfairness that accumulate over a lifetime.  

“We urge the government to look at the stark reality of many older people’s lives and act accordingly. As a first step there is an clear  need for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing for England, to act as an independent champion for older people and ensure that policymaking across government considers the long-term needs of our ageing population.”