How long can you expect to live a healthy life? See the shocking figures for the West Midlands here
Children living in parts of the West Midlands are less likely to stay healthy in later life than in other parts of the country, a new report has shown.
Girls in parts of our region can only expect to live a healthy life until the age of around 51, according to a new report. That compares to a UK average of more than 60.
And boys are also likely to live a healthy life in some areas of little more than 50, compared to almost 61 as a national average.
There are also huge differences within the West Midlands, with more affluent rural areas offering a healthy lifespan into the 60s, while urban areas are almost 15 years shorter.
Nationally, the proportion of life that women in the UK can expect to spend in good health has shrunk by nearly three years in the past decade, while men have seen a fall of just over two years, figures suggest.
Girls born in 2022-2024 are likely to enjoy 60.9 years of good general health, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is down from 63.4 years in 2019-21, and from 63.7 a decade earlier in 2012-14.
Males have also seen a drop, though not quite as large, with boys born in 2022-24 likely to see 60.7 years of good health, down from 62.4 years in 2019-21 and 62.9 a decade ago.
