Overview
- The Health Foundation analysis published Monday found healthy life expectancy fell by just over two years in a decade to just under 61 years for men and women.
- The UK now ranks 20th out of 21 comparable countries for years lived in good health, with only the United States lower as peers like Japan and Norway improved.
- More than 90% of local areas now see people fall into ill health before the state pension age of 66, which cuts working years and raises household costs.
- Inequalities have widened, with gaps of about 19.4 years for men and 20.3 for women between the most and least healthy places, from Richmond upon Thames near 70 years to Blackpool and Hartlepool near 51.
- The Department of Health and Social Care called the trend a disgrace and cited a tobacco and vapes bill and junk‑food ad limits, while analysts point to rising obesity, poor mental health and substance harms rooted in social conditions that they say need broader action.