Life expectancy lower in north of England than the south, study finds

Older people in the north of England die earlier, spend more years in poor health and are more likely to be out of work compared with their contemporaries in the south, a “shocking” report has found.

The life expectancy difference is most acute between people in the north-east of England and the south-east, with men living an average of three years less and women 2.6 years less.

In England’s most deprived postcodes, life expectancy for men is 73.5 years, almost 10 years less than in the least deprived areas, where it is 83.2 years. For women the difference is eight years (78.3 versus 86.3 years).

The unsettling and stark figures are included in a huge State of Ageing report to be published on Wednesday by the campaign group Centre for Ageing Better.

It presents, the centre says, “the most detailed picture yet of the older population in England” and is based on data as well as speaking to older people about their lives.

The centre’s chief executive, Carole Easton, said some of the statistics in the report were “truly shocking”.

She added: “There is much to be celebrated … many people are lucky enough to expect to live longer than generations before them and to live in good health until later in their lives. But, sadly, the report shows that inequalities in our expectations are growing and are set to grow more. There is much more difference among older people than many people imagine.”

The report, Easton said, highlighted “how ageing can be a very different experience depending on where you live”. The disparities are huge, she said, and linked to factors including wealth, working conditions, public transport, high-speed internet and educational and lifestyle factors.

“Until we see greater progress in levelling up of regional inequalities, the quality of someone’s later life will remain a postcode lottery.”

Campaigners say the issue is a pressing one – as important as net zero, said Easton. The population in England is older than ever before, with almost 40% of people aged over 50 and almost 20% over 65.

The population is also more diverse than ever before in terms of ethnicity, sexuality and the way people live their lives.

“Older people have never been a homogenous group – and this is the case now more than ever,” the report says.

“In 2023, a significant percentage of the population face a bleak experience of ageing. But this is not inevitable. With a fundamental change in approach, we can enable millions more people to live a good later life.”

The findings in the report include:

• Regional differences are widening, with life expectancy rising in the south-east and falling in the north-east.

• The north-east has the largest proportion of older people in poor health, with three in 10 people aged 50-64 (29.1%) in poor health, compared with one in five in the south-east (20.3%).

• That gap increases with age with almost half of people (48.2%) aged over 65 in the north-east reporting they are not in good health. In the south-east it is 37.6%.

• Employment rates for older people in the north-east are much lower than for those in the south-east: 68% of people aged 50-64, compared with 74.5%.

• Older people in the north of England are more than twice as likely to live in non-decent homes that fail to meet basic health and safety standards. In the north it is 21% and in the south it is 9%.

• When people in the most deprived areas get to the age of 65, they have twice as many years of ill-health ahead of them as those in the least deprived areas. They are also likely to live shorter lives.

• The number of pensioners living in poverty has steadily increased since 2012 – from 13% to 18% now – and people aged 60-64 “have the highest poverty rates among adults of any age”.

The annual report is used by professionals, researchers and policymakers. It will be launched at an event at City Hall in London on Wednesday featuring a keynote speech by Prof Sir Michael Marmot, the director of the Institute of Health Equity.

Among the calls being made is one for the UK government to appoint a commissioner for older people and ageing in England.

Easton said there should also be a pause in the proposal to raise the state pension age. “Just putting it up without looking at the implications is going to lead to more people who are impoverished and deprived.”