Scots life expectancy stalls as health inequalities worsen, say new reports

Two reports out today show the increase in life expectancy that has shown steady progress in Scotland since the Second World War has now stalled and health inequalities have worsened.

In the past seven years, Scotland has seen the slowest growth in life expectancy since at least the late 1970s and death rates have now begun to rise for people living in the country’s poorest areas.

These trends mean it will take nearly 21 years to add a year to a woman’s life expectancy and 11.5 years to add a year to a man’s.

Over the previous 20 years (1992-2011) life expectancy gain was much faster, taking just 5.5 years to add a year to a woman’s life expectancy and four years for a man.

Scotland has the lowest life expectancy in the UK.

At the current slow rates of improvement, life expectancy in Scotland won’t catch up with the life expectan- cy England had in 2016 until 2058 (for women) and 2045 (for men).

Dr Gerry Mccartney, head of the Public Health Observatory at NHS Health Scotland, said: “What we see here is a worrying trend.

“Life expectancy not only gives an indication of how long people are likely to live, but also serves as a ‘warning light’ for the public’s health.

“In addition, the fact socioeconomic position now plays a bigger role in how long you live is cause for concern.”