England’s north-south life expectancy gap grows despite record longevity | Health

The north-south divide in life expectancy in England has widened over the last decade; People in northern regions face more diseases such as heart disease and cancer, as well as suicides and deaths due to alcohol and drug use.

Temporary figures Life expectancy is set to reach an all-time high in 2025, with men and women in England living on average 80 years and around 84 years respectively, but the gains are largely in the south, the King’s Fund said.

Despite the sharpest decline in life expectancy during the Covid pandemic, life expectancy in London has risen by almost a year in a decade to 2023-25. The southeast, southwest and east of England also recorded gains.

But half of England’s population living in the five northern regions of the north-west, north-east, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and East Midlands experienced little or no increase in life expectancy over the same period, reflecting higher levels of deprivation.

People in London can now expect to live three years longer than those in the north-east, according to the health charity. Even starker disparities emerged at the local level, with life expectancy in Blackpool, Lancashire being 10 years shorter for men and eight years shorter for women than in Hart, Hampshire.

“Life expectancy in the poorest 30 per cent of counties has either fallen or not improved over the last decade, and that is a disturbing story,” said Veena Raleigh, a senior fellow at the King’s Fund. “Meanwhile, in the 30% least deprived areas, the rate increased by six months.”

“Over the last decade, the north has fallen further behind, and plans to level up and renew the north have not materialized,” Raleigh added. “This isn’t just a matter of fixing health services. It also requires an intergovernmental initiative to address the broader, fundamental determinants of health, such as ensuring people have affordable access to safe jobs, fair wages, adequate housing, clean air, accessible transport and healthy nutrition.”

The government’s 10-year plan for the NHS aims to increase healthy life expectancy (the number of years people live in good health) for everyone in England, while also halving the gap between the richest and poorest. But the King’s Fund said the target was “unrealistic” and required improvements in public health on a scale not seen for decades.

The charity found that healthy life expectancy has fallen in all parts of England in the decade to 2022-24, with people now staying in poor health for an average of 2.5 years longer. Regional segregation has remained unchanged for around six to seven years, but can reach 20 years between the most and least deprived areas. Figures mean those living in the poorest parts of England are living shorter lives and spending more years in poor health.

“Although the government’s 10-year health plan promises a shift towards disease prevention, the focus is mainly on reducing waiting lists and waiting times,” Raleigh said. “Public health and disease prevention must be much higher on the policy agenda, for example to combat the increasing prevalence of obesity.

“The increasing prevalence of health problems, especially among working-age adults, is extremely concerning because it carries the risk of endangering the lives of some young people, as well as the high costs of increased economic inactivity.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the government’s target of halving the gap in healthy life expectancy reflected the “size and complexity of the challenge”. They said £2.2bn had been transferred to critical resources such as medicines and medical equipment in deprived areas.

“Someone’s postcode should never determine how long they live and this government is committed to tackling the stark inequalities that still exist across Britain,” the spokesman said. “We’re already taking action, from allocating GP funds more fairly to establishing pioneering neighborhood health centers in the areas that need them most. But now we’ll go further to devolve power to local communities, putting decision-making in the hands of those who know their field best and leading lasting change across the country.”