Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UK Life Expectancy Update Shows Women Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels as Regional Gaps Persist

ONS says recent gains may not yet signal a lasting turnaround.

Overview

  • New ONS 2022–24 estimates put female life expectancy at 83.0 years and male life expectancy at 79.1 years, both higher than in 2019–21.
  • The male figure remains just below the 2017–19 estimate of 79.3 years, indicating only a partial recovery for men.
  • England records the highest national figures (83.3 years for women, 79.4 for men) and Scotland the lowest (81.1 and 77.1), reflecting persistent north–south contrasts.
  • Local disparities are stark, from 83.7 years for males in Hart, Hampshire, to 73.7 in Blackpool, and from 87.1 for females in Kensington & Chelsea to 78.7 in Glasgow.
  • Recovery is uneven across local authorities, with small declines in areas such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and increases in Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness.