New data has revealed that there is a stark North/South divide in the UK when it comes to life expectancy, with boys born in Glasgow living 11 years less on average than those in central

London. The figures come from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which has compiled the information into an interactive map that allows users to find out the predicted life expectancy in any area. Another tool allows users to work out their own life expectancy based on their age. The ONS data highlights that there has been a drop in British life expectancy rankings, with the UK now falling to 36th place out of 200 countries in the global standings. The UK has fared worse than all G7 countries except the US over the past seven decades. The average life expectancy in the UK has risen from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, but countries such as Norway and Sweden now boast higher life expectancies.

Male life expectancy in the UK by 2020 was 79.4 years nationally in England, the highest of all four nations, and lowest in Scotland at 76.8 years. Data suggests that female life expectancy was also highest in England at 83.1 years, but lowest in Scotland at 81 years. The ONS report reveals that gaps in male life expectancy between local areas in the UK grew from exactly 10 years in 2015 to 2017 to 11.6 years in 2018 to 2020. For females, it rose from 7.8 years to 9.6 years. However, the ONS data only includes information from the first year of the pandemic, and experts believe that Covid-19 has worsened health inequality, with some attributing this to health cuts and austerity.

The interactive ONS map also reveals the best and worst areas to live for life expectancy. For boys, the best areas to live are Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Rutland, South Cambridgeshire, Camden, Hart, Elmbridge, Uttlesford, New Forest, and Wokingham. The worst areas for boys are Glasgow, Dundee, Blackpool, West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Middlesbrough, and Manchester. For girls, the best areas to live are Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Westminster, Richmond-upon-Thames, Hart, South Cambridgeshire, Eden, Mole Valley, Winchester, and Epsom and Ewell. The worst areas for girls are Glasgow, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, Blackpool, North Lanarkshire, Dundee, Stoke-on-Trent, Knowsley, East Ayrshire, and Middlesbrough. Photo by Kenny Louie from Vancouver, Canada, Wikimedia commons.