Women’s life expectancy returns to pre-pandemic levels – but men’s yet to recover
The UK areas with the highest and lowest life expectancy
- Female life expectancy in the UK has returned to pre-pandemic levels, averaging 83.0 years for baby girls born between 2022 and 2024, while male life expectancy, at 79.1 years, remains slightly below 2017-19 figures.
- The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows an improvement for both sexes compared to the 2019-2021 period, which saw a fall due to increased deaths during the pandemic.
- England recorded the highest life expectancy among the four UK nations (83.3 years for females, 79.4 for males), while Scotland had the lowest (81.1 years for females, 77.1 for males).
- Significant geographical disparities exist, with Hart in Hampshire having the highest male life expectancy (83.7 years) and Blackpool, Lancashire, the lowest (73.7 years), marking a 10-year gap. The gap for girls is slightly smaller, with 87.1 years in the London borough of Kensington & Chelsea and 78.7 years in Glasgow.
- Experts note that while life expectancy has recovered from the pandemic shock, overall progress has stalled compared to pre-2012 trends, highlighting a long-term failure to improve national health.