For a long life, don't move to Manchester

Countryside dwellers may be bemoaning their lot at the moment but figures released yesterday show that many can expect a longer life than their urban counterparts.

The discrepancy between life expectancy for men born in North Dorset and those from Manchester was almost 10 years. For women, living in the right area can add more than seven years to their life.

The Office for National Statistic (ONS) figures on life expectancy at birth in England and Wales ranked local authorities, with those in Dorset sweeping the board. North Dorset was in first place, Christchurchsecond and East Dorset third as the healthiest places for men.

Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool had the three lowest rates for males, although the problem was not exclusive to the north of England, with the London borough of Tower Hamlets and Middlesbrough among the worst areas.

The discrepancy was stark. While a man in North Dorset can expect to live to an average of 79.6 years, Manchester's males can only look forward to 69.7 years.

Although the areas with the highest life expectancy were mainly rural, other social factors played a part. The wealthy London borough of Kensington and Chelsea fared well, coming 18th out of the 374 local authorities with its male residents expecting to live until the age of 78 and a half.

In yesterday's survey, women from West Somerset had the highest life expectancy at birth – 83.5 years – followed by those from Purbeck in Dorset and Guildford in Surrey. Manchester was again the worst when it came to women, with life expectancy averaging 76.3 years followed by Liverpool and Wansbeck in Northumberland.

The figures for 1999 to 2001 were calculated using newly-released 2001 mid-year population estimates, based on the 2001 census.

An ONS report in August showed that men from professional, managerial and clerical classes can expect to live three years longer than manual workers. Striking differences in cancer and heart disease rates, blamed on poverty, smoking and bad diet, have been shown between areas such as Dorset and parts of the north of England.