21 March 2023 , 11:10
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The UK has a shocking postcode lottery when it comes to life expectancy, with children born in some areas predicted to live 18 years longer than in others.
Babies born in the FY1 postcode area of Blackpool will live to be 73 years old on average, according to new research by Health Equals.
That’s the lowest life expectancy of anywhere in the country from the survey which gives average figures across men and women combined.
Meanwhile, in the London postcode area of SW7 - which is home to Harrods - and EC3B in the City of London, the average life expectancy is 91 years of age, which is the highest in the country.
That’s a gap of 18 years.
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There are also parts of Wirral, Middlesbrough where the average life expectancy is 74 years, which is the next lowest in the country, while in parts of Bradford, Leeds, Oldham, and Hull it’s 75 years.
The data from Health Equals shows that postcode areas in Northern and Scottish cities have far lower life expectancies than more affluent parts of the South and more rural Northern regions.
The group’s campaign #LivesCutShort, calls attention to regional disparities in life expectancy, highlighting the millions of lives being “needlessly” cut short in the UK because of where they live.
You can see how your local area compares using our interactive map. Simply type in your postcode and click search to zoom into your area.
Life expectancies have also been calculated at parliamentary constituency level, with a 13-year gap between the best and worst performing areas.
Blackpool South has the lowest value of any constituency in the UK at 75 years.
That’s followed by three other English constituencies at 76 years each - Leeds Central, Manchester Central, and Middlesbrough - as well as a host of places in Glasgow.
Cities of London and Westminster has the longest life expectancy of any constituency at 88 years.
That gives a gap of 13 years between the top and bottom areas.
Carrie Hume, Head of Health Equals said: “Our members are diverse but carry the same message. The size of the UK’s life expectancy gap is entirely preventable, but not enough attention is paid to how our health is shaped by our interactions with the world around us.
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“We’re calling on politicians to take action, doing more to understand what shapes our health, and creating plans to improve our opportunities for good health.”
John Godfrey, Director of Levelling Up, Legal & General added: “Life expectancy has stalled for the first time in 100 years — while for some areas of the UK, life expectancy is reversing.
“The UK is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and yet people are spending more time in poor health. It’s harming society, our economy and leading to lives needlessly cut short across the UK.”