Healthy life expectancy is falling across most of the nation - and the gap between how long people can expect to live in good health in the wealthiest and most deprived areas is growing. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that male babies born in England between 2021 and 2023 can expect to spend 61.5 years of their life in good health, compared with 61.9 for female babies.
In Wales, it is slightly shorter, with an average of 60.3 years of good health for male babies and 59.6 for female babies. It shows that babies born in the last three years can expect fewer years in good health than children born in the three years before the pandemic.
Male healthy life expectancy has fallen by about 20 months in England and 13 months in Wales; while female health life expectancy has dropped by 22 months in England and 27 months in Wales. Healthy life expectancy is the average number of years a person can expect to live in good health. This has fallen in nearly nine in 10 council areas in England and Wales.
Analysis from the Centre for Ageing Better highlights a big difference in healthy life expectancy between the wealthiest and most deprived areas in England. Both men and women living in the most affluent areas are enjoying up to around 18 more years in good health than people in the most deprived areas.
A male baby born in Blackpool, one of the most deprived areas of the country - can expect to live in good health for 51.7 years. That compares to 69.7 years in affluent Wokingham. Women in Barnsley have the shortest healthy life expectancy (52.6 years), while women born in Wokingham remain healthy for the longest (70.8 years).
