UK’s North–South life expectancy divide widens as study finds shocking differences

UK’s North–South life expectancy divide widens as study finds shocking differences UK life expectancy is now also lowest of all comparable high-income countries, apart from Germany and the US - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments New figures show the North–South life expectancy divide in England has widened over the past decade. A study found life expectancy reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2025, but the gains are not represented equally in the country. For example, there is a difference of three years between London and the North East, The King’s Fund health charity said, reflecting the greater levels of deprivation seen in northern regions. It concluded that the Government’s aim to increase healthy life expectancy for everyone in England and halve the gap between the richest and poorest regions looks “unrealistic”. It said achieving these aims would require improvements in population health on a scale not seen in recent decades. Life expectancy has consistently been the lowest nationally for almost half of the population of England living in the North (the North East and North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, East and West Midlands), with little or no improvement in the decade before 2023-25. In contrast, life expectancy increased in London and the South East, the South West and East of England regions, despite London experiencing the sharpest fall in life expectancy during the pandemic. There were also stark figures when it came to how many years of life people spend in good health. Overall, healthy life expectancy everywhere is on a downward trend, having fallen by about 2.5 years in the decade to 2022-24. The news comes after new PM Andy Burnham opened a new headquarters for the centre of Government in Manchester. The Prime Minister is expected to work at No 10 North, at Heron House in Manchester, once each week during his premiership, as part of his move to push power out of Westminster. He described opening the new base as the “best day of my life” as he spoke to staff and ministers there on Friday morning, and said it was a “full circle” experience for him, as he had to leave the North West to start his career. Mr Burnham added: “And it’s true of places all over the country to get on in life, you had to leave where you where you were because things weren’t here. “The country has always been a little like that, hasn’t it? “That opportunity has not been evenly spread around the country, and not all places have felt that they are part of the national story, and that is what this Government is going to work every single day to change. “And that is what No 10 North is all about: putting power in every postcode so that people can turn things around for themselves and make changes, just as this great city has done, and the other English cities are doing through devolution, turning things round because of that ability to be able to do more for themselves.” The Prime Minister insisted No 10 North was key to getting “good growth going in every part of the country”. He added: “I mean it when I say every postcode, everybody. That’s what we’ve got to do. Nowhere forgotten, everywhere feeling heard, everyone with a sense that their place can be more than it is today. “High streets lifted around the country, Britain reindustrialised, getting those good jobs back into all of our regions. We’ve got such an opportunity, everybody, ahead of us. I said I wanted to get Britain believing again. Today is a day where we hopefully can really build that sense. Get Britain hoping again. “I think we can we can do that together if we carry on working in this in this way. So it is such a such an amazing moment for me. It’s everything I believe in. Everything I’ve spent my whole life working towards.” Figures show that in 2022-24, men living in the least deprived 10% of areas in England could expect to live about a decade longer overall than men in the 10% most deprived areas, and for females the difference was eight years. But the gap in healthy life expectancy was even greater – at two decades. This means people in the most deprived areas both have shorter lives and spend more of their lives in poor health. A close examination of people in London compared with those in the North East showed Northerners fare particularly badly in areas such as early death from heart disease and cancer, as well as suicide and deaths linked to alcohol and drug misuse. UK life expectancy is now also lowest of all comparable high-income countries, apart from Germany and the US. Veena Raleigh, senior fellow at the King’s Fund said: “That people in our Northern and deprived communities have seen little or no improvement in longevity over a decade, in contrast to the health gains in their Southern and more well-off counterparts, is a mark of shame for an affluent country. “Addressing this inequity in the nation’s health is not just a matter of social justice, it would reduce pressures on the NHS and the high economic costs of ill-health. “Improving population health and reducing entrenched health inequalities have never been more urgent and yet also more challenging, given the economic constraints facing the country. “It will require concerted, bold, cross-governmental action to reduce largely preventable illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes associated with poor diet, drinking and smoking, and tackle the wider determinants driving persistent poor health, especially among northern and deprived communities. “One of the three ‘radical shifts’ in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan is from sickness to prevention. “One year on, and the modest moves on this front fall well short of the bold action needed to improve public health, reduce inequalities and increase people’s lives and the years they spend in good health.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Someone’s postcode should never dictate how long they live, and this Government is determined to tackle the stark inequalities that still exist across Britain. “We’re already taking action, from allocating GP funding more fairly to delivering pioneering Neighbourhood Health Centres in the areas that need them most. “But we will now go further in devolving power to local communities, putting decision-making into the hands of those who know their areas best, and driving lasting change across the country.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments