AGE WE DIE PUT ON OLD
Shock as UK’s life expectancy halted
INCREASES in life expectancy have ground to a halt in the UK.
It is still 79.2 years for men and 82.9 years for women, the first time there has been no rise since modern records began in 1982.
David Willetts, from the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said: “Getting to the bottom of why this has stalled is crucial.”
For both sexes in Scotland and Wales it fell 0.1 years, males in Northern Ireland saw a similar fall. Previous research suggests life expectancy is actually falling in poorer communities.
Life expectancy in the UK remains lower than in many comparable countries, the Office for National Statistics also found. Some experts blame austerity, the obesity epidemic and recent flu outbreaks. Those born 2015 to 2017 had the life expectancy of those born from 2014-16. Scotland is lowest at 77.0 years for males and 81.1 years for females. England is top at 79.5 years for males and 83.1 years for females. For Northern Ireland it is 78.4 for males and 82.3 for females. In Wales it is 78.3 for males and 82.3 for females. Dr Veena Raleigh, of The King’s Fund think-tank, said: “The UK has shown the least improvement of all European countries.
“It’s likely that several factors caused the slowdown, for example a spike in flu-related deaths for 2015. We need to investigate.”