Mapped: The stark north-south divide in UK life expectancy

Men across the country are, on average, living four fewer years than women – but there are stark disparities across the UK, new analysis shows.

Research from the Centre for Ageing Better found from 2021-2023, the average life expectancy at birth is 79 years for men and 83 years for women.

The charity’s 2025 State of Ageing report found men living in the bottom fifth of areas of the country in terms of wealth can expect to live 4.4 fewer years on average than those living in the wealthiest areas of England.

There is a clear north-south divide in average life expectancy at birth across England, the report found. The lowest life expectancy at birth for men and women is in the North East (77.4 and 81.4 years respectively), according to the Centre for Ageing Better.

Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The substantial regional inequalities highlighted in our new State of Ageing report are truly a matter of life and death. Living in a part of the country where good quality jobs and opportunity is scarce, and where financial insecurity and poverty is rife, is robbing people of their health in later life and depriving them of years spent with loved ones. This is the true human cost of our very unequal society.

“The really worrying trend is that inequality in life expectancy is increasing almost everywhere. The bombardment of shocks from austerity, Covid and the cost-of-living crisis have compounded longer-term health and inequality issues to ensure we truly are the sick man of Europe.”