Parts of South Wales record UK's lowest female life-expectancy
Women in Blaenau Gwent living, on average, more than seven years less than in some areas of England
Last updated 26th Jan 2024
Blaenau Gwent has recorded the lowest female life expectancy of anywhere in the UK.
Women living the can expect to live until they're 78.9 years on average, almost seven and a half years less than those living in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where life expectancy is the highest in the UK.
The Office for National Statistics has published new UK-wide figures which it says show a clear geographical divide.
They show that for a baby born in 2020 to 2022:
- Male life expectancy was highest in Hart in Hampshire, at 83.7 years, followed by Uttlesford in Essex (82.7 years), South Cambridgeshire (82.7 years) and Wokingham in Berkshire (82.5 years).
- Blackpool in Lancashire had the lowest male life expectancy (73.4 years), followed by Manchester (74.8 years), Hull (75.0 years) and Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire (75.2 years).
- Female life expectancy was highest in the London borough of Kensington & Chelsea, at 86.3 years, ahead of Hart (86.1 years), Winchester in Hampshire (85.9 years) and South Hams in Devon (85.9 years).
- Blaenau Gwent in Wales had the lowest female life expectancy, at 78.9 years, followed by Blackpool (79.0 years), Manchester (79.2 years) and Liverpool (79.3 years).
Julie Stanborough, ONS deputy director of health and life events, said: "Although life expectancy has fallen across all regions and constituent countries, there is a clear geographical divide when it comes to areas with the best and worst outcomes.
"None of the 10 local areas with the highest life expectancy were located in the north of England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
"By contrast, of the 10 local areas with the lowest life expectancy, none were in the south of England."
The decrease in life expectancy during 2020 to 2022 has been "predominantly driven by the coronavirus pandemic", which led to "increased mortality in 2020 and 2021", she added.
In Wales, the largest drop for male life expectancy was in Wrexham (down 1.2 years) and for females it was in Merthyr Tydfil (down 1.4 years), while the biggest increases were in Monmouthshire (up 0.5 years) and Bridgend (0.6 years) respectively.