A new study suggests that within the last ten years, life expectancy is falling in many areas in the north of England.
Researchers say there are now significant differences across England in the age people are expected to live until. For example, there is a 27 year gap in life expectancy between a man living in Kensington and Chelsea and a man in Blackpool.
Covid did cause life expectancy to drop. But the latest research, carried out by Imperial College London, shows it was declining already in a number of areas.
The current trend is described by researchers as “alarming”, because people are often under the impression that everyone’s health is improving in the UK. Although it is not always at the same pace. Professor Majid Ezzati says the data shows “that longevity has been getting worse for years in large parts of England”.
What is the average life expectancy in the UK?
The study, published in The Lancet Journal, looked at every death in England that happened between 2002 and 2019. Using the death records in places, researchers then worked out the life expectancy for different communities.
Findings showed that expectancy increased in most areas during the first ten years of the millennium. However, from 2010 onward it started declining in some places.
Parts of the home counties and London continued on the path of living longer. But in some urban areas of Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle the age of expectancy fell. In these areas, life expectancy became lower than 70 for men and 75 for women.
By 2019, a 20 year gap developed in the expected lifespan between a woman living in Camden compared to a woman living in an area of Leeds. A woman in the London borough expected to live until the average age of 95.4 years. In comparison, a woman in the northern area of England expected to live to an average age of only 74.7.
Meanwhile, a 27 year age gap could be seen between the expected lifespan of a man living in areas of Kensington and Chelsea compared to a man in parts of Blackpool. A man in the London areas expected to live to the average age of 95.3 years. While a man in the northern area of the country expected to live to an average age of only 68.3.
According to estimates from the Office for National Statistics, the average life expectancy in the UK for a man is 79 years, and for a woman is just under 83 years.
A need for action
Professor Ezzati says that “declines in life expectancy used to be rare in wealthy countries like the UK, and happened when there were major adversities like wars and pandemics”. So it is “alarming” to see that the decline started in “normal times” before the coronavirus pandemic began. He calls for action to be taken.
Researchers say the cause of the difference in ages relates to factors including poverty, employment insecurity, and welfare support and healthcare reductions. They want the government to increase investment in public health in regions that have a lower life expectancy.
As part of its plans for “levelling-up”, the government previously pledged to tackle the issue of regional inequalities in health. Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the differences in life expectancy in a speech earlier this year. He labelled it as “an outrage”.
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