ONS life expectancy data shows recovery from pandemic, but long-term stagnation persists

Commenting on today's ONS life expectancy for local areas of the UK: between 2001 to 2003 and 2022 to 2024, Jason Strelitz, Assistant Director (Prevention) at the Health Foundation, said:

‘Life expectancy at birth has now recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic shock. The latest three-year estimates (2022–2024) show males at 79.1 years, just below the pre-pandemic peak of 79.3 years, and females at 83 years, back to their 2019 peak (see Figure 1). However, progress has stalled compared with the steady gains seen before 2012. If that earlier trend had continued, men today would be living 3.6 years longer and women 2.6 years longer than current figures show (see Figure 2).

‘This stalling of life expectancy reflects a long-term failure to improve the nation’s health. Many national goals, including economic growth, depend on a healthy and thriving population. Comparable countries are doing much better than the UK, indicating significant room for improvement.'

‘Regional inequalities remain stark (see Figure 3). Every local authority in the North East is below the Great Britain average, while the highest life expectancies are concentrated in the south of England.'

‘The Government has rightly committed to a shift from treatment to prevention. There have been significant steps forward, for example with the child poverty strategy. But what is needed now is a clear set of targets to narrow the health gap, backed by a cross-government strategy.

‘Improving health must be at the heart of decision-making, ensuring resilience and wellbeing are embedded across policies. Only with decisive action will we build good health and ensure that inequalities don’t become further entrenched.’

Media contact

Jessica Clinkett
jessica.clinkett@health.org.uk
020 7664 4647