Introduction
There are a number of different types of life expectancy, which include life expectancy at birth, life expectancy at 65, healthy life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy to name just a few examples. Life expectancy is a key indicator used to demonstrate inequalities in health, with significant variations in life expectancy recorded between different communities within the East Riding. All types of life expectancy are calculated for males and females separately.
This page concentrates on ‘healthy life expectancy’: an estimate of the average number of years a person can expect to live in “good” or “very good” health, based on current mortality rates and self‑reported general health. It goes beyond life expectancy by taking account of quality of life as well as length of life, it reflects people’s lived experience of health and long‑term conditions, not just diagnosed disease.
Healthy Life Expectancy within the UK (2022-2024)
The ONS reports that healthy life expectancy in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since records began, The decline has continued since the pandemic and health inequalities between regions and communities are widening.
Key points:
- Healthy life expectancy has fallen in over 80% of UK local areas compared with 2019–2021, and in every region of England.
- People now spend less than three-quarters of their lives in good health:
- Women: 73%
- Men: 77%
- In England (2022–2024):
- Men: 60.9 years in good health
- Women: 61.3 years in good health
- This is a 7‑month drop in one year and a much larger fall since the pandemic (22 months for men, 29 months for women).
- The South East has the highest healthy life expectancy, while the North East has the lowest.
- Regional gaps are growing, particularly for women.
- At local authority level, inequalities are extreme:
- There is almost a 20‑year gap between the healthiest and least healthy areas.
- For example, healthy life expectancy in Blackpool is around 51 years, compared with around 70 years in Richmond upon Thames.
Healthy Life Expectancy within different areas of the United Kingdom
The interactive map below is provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and allows viewers to see healthy life expectancy estimates for males and females.
Different areas of the UK can be selected by either clicking on the map or selecting an area of interest by clicking in the box with a downward facing arrow. Viewers of the map can zoom into an area by either using the wheel on their mouse or using the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons. When an area is selected the map will provide a comparison between healthy life expectancy in 2011-23 compared to 2022-24. Darker areas of the map indicate a higher healthy life expectancy.
Figure 1. Healthy Life Expectancy within the United Kingdom. Source: ONS
Figure 2. Change in healthy life expectancy at birth by sex, local areas of the UK, between 2019 to 2021 and 2022 to 2024. Source: ONS