UK's rich poor divide sees underprivileged people die almost 10 years before wealthy peers

The rich poor divide is about more than just bank balance.

A shocking new study has found that wealthy or privileged people in England and Wales can expect to live almost a decade longer than their less affluent peers.

The research into the socioeconomic divide, conducted by The Office For National Statistics, shows that the least deprived males at birth in 2014 to 2016 could expect to live almost a decade longer than the most deprived (9.3 years).

The gap closed ever so slightly in females, for whom the gap was 7.4 years.

Ellie Osborn, Health Analysis and Life Events at The Office for National Statistics, said: ‘The changes in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between 2011 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016 were generally most favourable among those living in the least deprived 10% of areas in both countries.

‘There were noticeable falls in female life expectancy at birth in the 20% most deprived populations in England. The growth in the inequality in life expectancy was a result of more favourable longevity gains among less deprived populations.’

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In 2014 to 2016, the least deprived males and females at birth in Wales could expect to live 8.9 years and 7.3 years more than the most deprived, respectively.

Large gaps in longevity by level of deprivation exposure persisted at age 65 years in England and Wales; the gap for men exceeded 4.7 years and the gap for women exceeded 4.6 years.

The gap in healthy life expectancy at birth even exceeded 18 years for both males and females in England.

Meanwhile, in Wales it surpassed 17 years for both males and females.

There were increases in the socioeconomic inequality in male and female life expectancy at birth and at age 65 years between 2011 to 2013 and 2014 to 2016 in both England and Wales; however, the increases were only statistically significant in England.