‘How Environment Affects Life Expectancy’

A report has linked life expectancy to living environment, saying that persons who live in healthy communities tend to outlive those who live in less well-off places even within the same country.

According to the report by The Actuary, the magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in its February 8 edition, people who live in parts of the South of England like Hart, Hampshire, Kensington and Chelsea have higher life expectancies than those who live Blackpool, which is North of Liverpool, or Blaenau Gwent, which is located south-east of Wales.

Quoting the Office of National Statistics (ONS), The Actuary said figures revealed a 10.3-year gap in male life expectancy between Hart, at 83.7 years, and lowest-ranked Blackpool, at 73.4 years. The female gap is 7.5 years between Kensington & Chelsea, at 86.3 years, and lowest-ranked Blaenau Gwent, at 78.9 years.

The Actuary said all 10 of the local areas with the highest female life expectancies were in the South of England, as were nine of the 10 areas with the highest male life expectancies.
Just Group communications director Stephen Lowe said the figures show “the importance on our health of the communities and socio-economic circumstances of where people grow up and live, from education and housing through to working conditions.”

Separate ONS figures showed that the number of people aged 85 and above is expected to grow to 2.6 million by mid-2036 – a rise of one million on previous government estimates.