Our data found the 10 UK areas where life expectancy is less than 50 years (Image: Getty)
People living in the Knightsbridge, Belgravia & Hyde Park area of London can expect to enjoy a longer, healthier life than those anywhere else in England and Wales, a new map has revealed. The average figure for men in the area is 78.3 years and 81.2 years for women. Those are the longest healthy life expectancies of any small area, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
And yet, there are ten UK areas where the healthy life expectancy is below 50 years old.
The shortest healthy life expectancy in the country is in the North East. Men living in the Central Stockton & Portrack neighbourhood of Stockton-on-Tees outside Middlesbrough have a healthy life expectancy of just 47.7 years. That’s a difference of 30.6 years of being in good general health compared to men in Knightsbridge.
For females, the lowest healthy life expectancy is in Grimsby East Marsh & Port in North East Lincolnshire. The average there is 49.0 years, a gap of 32.2 years compared to Knightsbridge.
In England, the median healthy life expectancy at birth for males was 65.3 years. For females it was 66.8 years. In Wales the averages were 62.5 years for males and 63.8 for females.
You can see the healthy life expectancy in your local area by using our interactive map:
There are also large differences between different neighbourhoods in the same council area. For example, women’s healthy life expectancy in Bradford ranges from 76.1 years in Menston & Burley Moor to just 50.2 years in Barkerend West & Little Germany. That’s a gap of 25.9 years, which is the largest within any council area in England and Wales.
For men in Wirral, healthy life expectancy varies from 73.2 years in the Caldy & Newton neighbourhood to just 47.8 years in Birkenhead Central, a gap of 25.1 years.
Neighbouring areas can also see large changes in healthy life expectancy.
Heaton Moor in Stockport has a healthy life expectancy of 70.7 years for males and 71.2 years for females. That’s comfortably above the national average of 65.3 years for males and 66.8 years for females.
Cross over Burnage Lane into the Burnage South neighbourhood of Manchester, however, and things are very different.
Those in Knightsbridge live a longer and healithier life than anyone in England and Wales (Image: Getty)
Healthy life expectancy drops to just 57.8 years for males and 57.2 years for females, which are among the lowest in the country.
London also has several examples of neighbouring areas having huge life expectancy gaps. The Regent’s Park neighbourhood in Westminster has healthy life expectancy figures of 73.2 for males and 74.9 for females. Cross over Lisson Grove, however, and you’re into the Church Street area, where males have a healthy life expectancy of just 57.5 years and females 58.0 years.
Across the river, we have Southfields North in Wandsworth with its healthy life expectancies of 74.2 years for males and 73.7 years for females. That neighbours West Hill North, where the averages are 59.4 years for males and 61.3 for females.
Meanwhile, Crouch End West in Haringey, with averages of 71.6 years for males and 73.0 years for females, borders Highcroft & Holly Park in Islington, with averages of just 58.2 years for males and 61.0 years for females.
In Cardiff, those living in the Cyncoed South & Roath Park neighbourhood have healthy life expectancies of 71.6 years for males and 73.1 years for females. That drops to just 57.8 years for males and 60.6 years for females in Llanedeyrn.
A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that poverty is the biggest driver in the gaps in healthy life expectancy. It also found that a female living in the least deprived areas of the country will spend 82% of their life in good health.
That drops to just 65% in the most deprived areas, equating to 20 fewer years of life in good health.
For males the gap is 19 years, with men in the least deprived areas spending 85% of their lives in good health compared to 70% in the most deprived areas.
Scot Hunter, analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, says: “It isn’t right that where you live impacts how long you can expect to live in good health. It’s striking but not surprising that people who spend more of their life in poor health are more likely to live in places that lost key industries: like manufacturing and mining towns as well as seaside towns and inner-city neighbourhoods.
“We know that as well as struggling economically, many of these areas have lost the community groups, places and activities that brought people together. Compared to similar places that still have their community centres, youth clubs and sports halls, people in these doubly disadvantaged areas are more likely to be living in poor health.
“The story isn’t just about the economies of these places, but whether there’s someone or somewhere in your neighbourhood that helps you feel connected, confident and in control. We need to invest in this vital infrastructure if we want people in every place to live healthier, more resilient lives.”
The 10 UK areas where life expectancy is below 50 years
1. Central Stockton & Portrack, Stockton-on-Tees: 47.7 years
2. Birkenhead Central, Wirral: 47.8 years
3. Central Blackpool, Blackpool: 47.9 years
4. Grimsby East Marsh & Port, North East Lincolnshire: 48 years
5. Arboretum, Forest & Trent University, Nottingham: 48.9 years
6. Blyth Cowpen, Northumberland: 49.3 years
7. South Promenade & Seasiders Way, Blackpool: 49.6 years
8. Tranmere, Wirral: 49.7 years
9. North Shore, Blackpool: 49.8 years
10. North East Centre, Blackpool: 49.8 years
