Relationship between living standards and health

Money and resources can affect health in a number of ways. People need a certain level of income to be able to afford the basics for a healthy life, such as food and quality housing. Higher incomes enable people to have more choice, and this often means they have access to healthier options. 

The chart shows the proportion of working-age adults (aged between 16 and 64 years) who are not able to afford different essential items and services. The data is divided into people who report ‘good’ health and people who report ‘less than good’ health (on a scale of ‘very good', ‘good’, ‘fair’, ‘bad’ and ‘very bad’). 

• The items people in both ‘good’ and ‘less than good’ health can most often not afford are a holiday once a year and saving at least £10 a month.
• All of the indicators of material deprivation are at least twice as likely to affect people with less than good health than people in good health.
• The biggest proportional difference is for people not being able to afford to keep their accommodation warm. A total of 13% of people in less than good health cannot afford to keep their accommodation warm, which is more than four times higher than the proportion of people reporting good health who cannot afford it (3%).
• People in poor health are nearly 3 times more likely to be unable to afford to make savings of £10 a month or more (39% versus 14%).

• Self-rated health is a measure of health from the Family Resources Survey based on a five-point scale from ‘very good’ to ‘very bad'. Other options include ‘good’, ‘fair’ and ‘bad’.
• Material deprivation is defined as a situation in which people lack a range of necessities because they cannot afford them.

Source: Health Foundation analysis of Department for Work and Pensions, Family Resources Survey, UK, 2021/22