Number of years of likely good health in UK falls to new low

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.

The figures for both women and men are the lowest since healthy life expectancy was first estimated in 2011-13.

There continues to be a “clear geographical divide” in England between local areas with the highest and lowest estimates, the ONS said.

Richmond upon Thames in London had the highest healthy life expectancy for girls born in 2022-24, at 70.3 years.

This is more than 19 years longer than Hartlepool in County Durham, which had the lowest figure at 51.2 years.

For males born in 2022-24, Richmond upon Thames again had the highest figure, at 69.3 years, more than 18 years longer than Blackpool in Lancashire, which had the lowest at just 50.9 years.

The difference between the highest and lowest local healthy life expectancies in England has widened sharply in the past decade.

The gap for women has grown from 14.8 years in 2012-14 to 19.1 years in 2022-24, while for men it has increased from 14.5 years to 18.4 years.

Greg Ceely, ONS head of population life events, said: “Today’s figures show that, while people in the UK are living longer than at the height of the pandemic, the proportion of their lives spent in good health is still getting smaller.

“Back in 2011, when the ONS first collected this data, men were expected to remain in good health until around the age of 63, and women 64.

“Today, they could both expect around 61 years of healthy life.”

Healthy life expectancy for the whole of England in 2022-24 stood at 61.3 years for females and 60.9 years for males, the highest among the four countries of the UK.

The next highest figures were for Northern Ireland, at 60.7 years for females and 60.8 for males, followed by Scotland (59.4 years and 59.1 years respectively) and Wales (58.5 years and 59.2 years).

Dr Jamie O’Halloran, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: ”Today’s figures show that where you live determines how many years you spend in good health – and that gap isn’t closing.

“Reforming the NHS and bringing care closer to communities can help reduce health inequalities, but most of what shapes our physical and mental health lies outside the health system.

“Without tackling those root causes, we won’t see the gains we need.”

Blackpool has had the lowest male healthy life expectancy across the UK since 2016-18.

Its figure has fallen over the past decade from 55.5 years of good health in 2012-14 to the latest estimate of 50.9 years.

In Hartlepool, the figure for males has dropped from 56.2 years to 52.1, while in Sandwell it has fallen from 57.8 to 52.7.

All three areas have seen a similar decrease for females: from 56.7 years to 51.8 in Blackpool; from 57.7 years to 51.3 in Sandwell; and from 56.7 years to 51.2 in Hartlepool.

Merthyr Tydfil had the lowest healthy life expectancy for males and females among all areas in Wales in 2022-24, at 51.7 years and 50.1 years respectively.

The town had the lowest figure for females across the UK.

The highest figure for males and females in Wales is Powys, at 64.2 years and 63.8 years respectively.

In Scotland, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands had the highest healthy life expectancy for males and females, but the ONS said the estimates are “very uncertain” due to small populations.

East Renfrewshire had the next highest figures, at 67.9 years for males and 68.7 years for females, while North Lanarkshire (52.9 and 52.3 years) had the lowest.

Lisburn & Castlereagh had the highest estimates in Northern Ireland (65.5 years for males, 65.8 years for females), while Derry City & Strabane had the lowest (54.9 and 54.2 years).

Sarah Wilkinson, evidence manager at the Centre for Ageing Better, said there was a “great deal of work to be done” to tackle growing inequality in good health at old age.

“Getting older is a vastly different experience for different people,” she added.

“Where you live, how much money you earn – these are significant factors in shaping our health in later life.

“Even though some older people are comfortable, many are not – it’s a gross simplification to assume that older equates to wealthier.

“As a leading industrialised nation, the UK must confront declining healthy life expectancy and the stark inequalities behind it, because no modern economy can thrive when large parts of its population are living shorter, less healthy lives.”