Healthy life expectancy in Wales lags behind England

Nation.Cymru staff

Women in parts of Wales can expect to live little more than 50 years in good health, while the average healthy life expectancy in Wales remains below that of England, according to new figures.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the median healthy life expectancy at birth for women in Wales between 2019 and 2023 was 63.8 years, compared with 66.8 years in England.

For men, the Welsh figure was 62.5 years, nearly three years lower than the 65.3 years recorded in England.

The figures, based on a new methodology using data from the 2021 Census, also highlight stark inequalities within Wales.

Townhill in Swansea was ranked the fifth-lowest area in England and Wales for healthy life expectancy among women, with females expected to enjoy just 50.6 years of good health on average.

Ely East in Cardiff also featured among the 10 lowest-ranked areas, where women can expect 51.3 years of healthy life.

The ONS calculated healthy life expectancy for more than 7,200 neighbourhoods across England and Wales, revealing a gap of more than 30 years between the highest and lowest-ranked areas.

The longest healthy life expectancy was recorded in the Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Hyde Park area of Westminster, where women can expect 81.2 years of good health and men 78.3 years.

At the other end of the scale, women in the Grimsby East Marsh and Port area of North East Lincolnshire can expect just 49 years of healthy life, while men in Central Stockton and Portrack have the lowest healthy life expectancy at 47.7 years.

The figures also point to a clear geographical divide, with the areas recording the highest healthy life expectancy concentrated in southern England, while those with the lowest are largely found elsewhere.

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