The UK fares badly against other developed countries, according to a new analysis of women’s life expectancy.
A new report released by the Health Foundation shows that female life expectancy in the UK is below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average, standing at 25th out of 38 member countries.
The charity calculated life expectancy for females in OECD countries where information is available – and compared the country-level averages to those for the 10% most and least deprived local areas in England.
For the UK overall in 2018, female life expectancy was 83.1 years. Looking at the figures within England for 2017 to 2019, female life expectancy varies by 7.7 years between the most and least deprived areas, according to the analysis.
In the 10% most deprived areas of England, female life expectancy was 78.7 years – equivalent to almost the lowest of the OECD countries, with only Mexico being lower.
Conversely, female life expectancy in the 10% least deprived areas of England was 86.4 years – the equivalent of the second-highest of OECD countries, with only Japan being higher.
The Health Foundation state: "Improving health and reducing inequalities requires action to be taken by the whole of government, not just the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS, as well as the involvement of business and other organisations."
Jo Bibby, Director of Health at the Health Foundation, said: "When OECD countries are ranked by life expectancy, the UK comes in 25th – a somewhat disappointing showing for the world’s 5th largest economy.
"However, an even more concerning picture emerges when we look at the gap between the rich and poor.
"Improving health should be made an explicit objective of every major policy decision. Otherwise, the gap between rich and poor will further widen and ‘levelling up’ will remain little more than a slogan."
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