'National crisis' as life expectancy varies by up to 18 years across the UK

A new analysis has laid bare the scale of health inequality in the UK, showing that people in affluent areas can expect to live up to 18 years longer than those in poorer neighbourhoods. The figures, based on an Office for National Statistics report on health state life expectancy estimates for those born in England between 2019 and 2023, have prompted Dr Amir Khan, a media medic and author, to describe the disparities as a "national crisis."

According to the analysis, residents of areas such as Marylebone and Berkhamsted can expect to live to 88 years on average, while in places like Blackpool and Glasgow the average is 70. The estimate draws on key criteria including housing quality, air pollution, financial pressures and local living conditions, all believed to significantly influence how long someone lives.

Dr Khan, who was raised in a working-class inner-city area of Bradford, said the issue is close to home. "I don't just see the impact of health inequalities in my work as a GP, I've lived them too," he said. "Today, I see these same challenges affecting many of my patients. I see people living in damp homes, struggling with financial insecurity or juggling multiple jobs, and I see the impact that can have on their health." He argued that "health (care) starts long before someone walks into a GP surgery."

'Shelf Life' installation highlights the gap

Dr Khan has teamed with Health Equals, a campaigning coalition group aiming to improve health equality opportunities across the UK, to launch the 'Shelf Life' campaign. The campaign includes an installation in Old Spitalfields Market in East London, which features oversized supermarket-style packaging showing reduced 'expiry dates' based on life expectancy figures from different areas of the country. The display is designed to illustrate how some people are effectively losing years off their life.

"Your postcode shouldn't determine your shelf life. But right now, in the UK, it does," Dr Khan said. Actor and TV presenter Will Mellor, who grew up on a council estate in Stockport, has also supported the campaign.

Regional disparities in focus

The analysis, shared by Health Equals, also highlights stark differences within regions. In the North East, for example, someone born today in Byker South and St Peter's in Newcastle can expect to live to 72, thirteen years less than counterparts in South Gosforth, where the average is 85. The data is based on small areas with populations between 5,000 and 15,000.

The regional picture shows a clear North-South divide. Of the 100 areas with the lowest life expectancy in England, 81 are in the North East, North West or Yorkshire and the Humber, with 14 of the remaining 19 in the Midlands. Blyth Cowpen, Byker South and St Peter's, Newton Aycliffe West and Grangetown in Sunderland are all among the bottom 100. In contrast, 70 of the 100 places with the highest life expectancy are in London, the South East or the South West, with only Darras Hall, Stamfordham and Heddon in the North East making the top 100.

Healthy life expectancy figures reveal even more pronounced gaps. Women in Blyth Cowpen can expect to be healthy for just 52.5 years, while those in the Hendon and Docks area of Sunderland fare little better at 52.6 years. Elsewhere, Newton Aycliffe West, Elswick South, Stanley South, Horden, Murton North and Parkside, and Byker South and St Peter's all see women living less than 54 years in good health. In London, women in Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Hyde Park can expect to be healthy for 81.2 years – a gap of nearly 30 years compared with the lowest areas.

The analysis also shows disparities within local authority areas: a fifteen-year gap in Northumberland, an eleven-year gap in County Durham, and a thirteen-year difference within Sunderland. In North Tyneside, there is a ten-year gap between Whitley Bay North (85 years) and Chirton in North Shields (75), while in South Tyneside an 11-year gap separates Cleadon and East Boldon (86) from South Shields West (75). In County Durham, 39 areas have an average life expectancy a decade lower than the leafiest parts of the country, with Newton Aycliffe West seeing a 16-year gap.

London: neighbourhood-level divide masks wider inequality

An interactive map looking at London reveals similar patterns. Old Oak and Wormwood in Hammersmith and Fulham has a life expectancy of 74, with Poplar West in Tower Hamlets at 75. At the other end, several neighbourhoods average 88 years, including Hans Town, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Notting Hill South and Holland Park in Kensington and Chelsea, Hyde Park in Westminster, Pinner South in Harrow and World's End in Enfield.

By borough, the City of London had the highest life expectancy at 85.6, although this was based on just one area, followed by Richmond upon Thames at 84.39 and Kensington and Chelsea at 83.82. However, the divide is far greater at neighbourhood level than borough level. Borough averages ranged from roughly 78 to 85 years, a gap of about 6.7 years, but at neighbourhood level life expectancy ranged from 73 to 89 years – a 15-year gap. Experts say this suggests borough-wide figures can mask inequalities between individual communities.

Life expectancy at a local level is influenced by a range of factors including wealth, lifestyle, access to healthcare, housing quality and the environment. Across the UK, the neighbourhoods with the lowest average life expectancy are Craigneuk Wishaw in North Lanarkshire (68), Drumchapel South (68) and City Centre East in Glasgow (69).

Public polling and calls for government action

A poll of 2,000 adults commissioned by Health Equals found that 95% agree the difference in life expectancy across the UK is a problem. Respondents identified the most significant factors as access to affordable healthy food (92%), education (65%) and access to transport (57%). Only two in 10 people think the government is doing enough to reduce health inequalities.

Paul McDonald, director of Health Equals, called for a change in the law to make it a legal duty to create better health in every postal area. He referenced Andy Burnham as a potential Prime Minister. The campaign is calling on the government to embed working to reduce health inequality across departments.

The 'Shelf Life' campaign includes a postcode checker tool on the Health Equals website, allowing members of the public to see life expectancy in their area, and encourages people to write to their MP.