More Scots live to 100 despite UK health gap

‘Seen little progress’’

IT was once only a select few who celebrated their 100th birthday.

But more and more are reaching that milestone – with almost 1,000 centenarians now living in Scotland.

This is despite the country continuing to have the lowest average life expectancy in the UK.

Statistics published by the National Records of Scotland show baby girls born this year can expect on average to live to be 81, while baby boys should reach 77.

Over the past 35 years life expectancy in Scotland has risen by 5.9 years for females and eight years for males.

But with the country still lagging behind the rest of the UK, experts are calling for more action to improve health north of the Border.

Yesterday, Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The SNP’s stewardship of the health service has seen little progress in changing Scotland’s reputation as the sick man of Europe.

‘The SNP has had complete control of health and education for a decade now, and it owes the country an explanation as to why it’s failed to act.’

The annual report published by Tim Ellis, Registrar General of Scotland, showed that while there is a lower average life expectancy compared with the rest of the UK, record numbers of Scots are living to celebrate their 100th birthday.

In 2016, there were 910 centenarians, an increase of 57 per cent from 580 in 2006.

There were 790 women aged over 100 – up from 530 a decade ago, while the number of men reaching the milestone more than doubled from 50 in 2006 to 120 last year.

However, the increase again lags behind the UK, with a 60 per cent rise in the country as a whole in the past decade.

The number of people in Scotland aged between 90 and 99 has risen 41 per cent – from 28,430 in 2006 to 40,160 in 2016.

There was an increase of more than 81 per cent in the number of men living past the age of 90 – from 6,570 to 11,900. For women, the total rose 29 per cent from 21,860 to 28,260.

But yesterday the British Medical Association in Scotland warned that measures to improve public health in Scotland must be introduced in a bid to improve life expectancy.

Chairman Dr Peter Binnie said: ‘In Scotland we have consistently had the lowest life expectancy in the UK over the past 35 years, which is why measures that improve public health in Scotland and support people to live healthily for as long as possible are more important than ever.’

As he published the statistics, Mr Ellis warned increases in life expectancy are beginning to slow.

He said: ‘The statistics published today show life expectancy has steadily improved over the past three decades.

‘While it is good that people in Scotland are living longer, recent trends show that the increase in life expectancy has been slowing in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.’