A recent report highlights significant disparities in healthy life expectancy across the UK, revealing that girls in certain areas of the West Midlands can expect to live a healthy life until just around the age of 51. This figure starkly contrasts with the national average, which exceeds 60 years. Boys in some parts of the region face a similar situation, with healthy life expectancy slightly above 50 years, while the UK average stands at nearly 61 years.
Geographical Inequalities
The report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates a pronounced geographical divide within the West Midlands. More affluent rural areas enjoy a healthy lifespan extending into the 60s, while urban regions experience a gap of nearly 15 years. This disparity reflects broader trends, as the national figures indicate that the healthy life expectancy for women has decreased by nearly three years over the past decade, and for men, just over two years.
For girls born between 2022 and 2024, the ONS estimates a healthy life expectancy of approximately 60.9 years, down from 63.4 years in the period from 2019 to 2021. Boys born in the same timeframe are expected to enjoy about 60.7 years of good health, a decline from 62.4 years in the previous period. These figures represent the lowest estimates since the ONS began tracking healthy life expectancy in 2011.
Regional Comparison
The ONS report also highlights stark contrasts among local areas in England. For instance, girls born in Richmond upon Thames, London, have the highest healthy life expectancy at 70.3 years, while those in Hartlepool, County Durham, face the lowest at just 51.2 years. Similarly, boys in Richmond upon Thames can expect to live healthily for 69.3 years, compared to 50.9 years for their counterparts in Blackpool, Lancashire.
The disparity between the highest and lowest estimates has widened over the past decade. For women, the gap has increased from 14.8 years in 2012-14 to 19.1 years in 2022-24. For men, this gap has grown from 14.5 years to 18.4 years during the same period.
Implications for Health Policy
Greg Ceely, head of population life events at the ONS, commented on the findings, stating, “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.” He noted that when the ONS first collected this data in 2011, men were expected to remain in good health until approximately age 63, while women could expect to maintain good health until around age 64. Now, both genders can expect around 61 years of healthy life.
The overall healthy life expectancy in England for the period 2022-24 stands at 61.3 years for females and 60.9 years for males, the highest figures among the four UK countries. In comparison, healthy life expectancy in Northern Ireland is 60.7 years for females and 60.8 years for males, while Scotland reports 59.4 years and 59.1 years, respectively. Wales has the lowest figures at 58.5 years for females and 59.2 years for males.
Dr. Jamie O’Halloran, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, emphasized the importance of addressing health inequalities. “Today’s figures show that where you live determines how many years you spend in good health – and that gap isn’t closing,” he stated. He advocated for reforms in the National Health Service (NHS) to bring care closer to communities, while also highlighting that many factors influencing physical and mental health exist outside the health system itself. Without addressing these root causes, significant gains in health expectancy may remain elusive.
The report underscores the urgency for policymakers to take action and address the stark inequities in healthy life expectancy across different regions, particularly in the West Midlands, where the differences are most pronounced.
