Residents in some London areas can expect 20 more healthy years than their close neighbours
A new map shows the stark differences in healthy life expectancy between those living in different parts of London, with the East faring much worse than other parts of the capital on average. While residents of affluent neighbourhoods such as Knightsbridge, Belgravia & Hyde Park can expect to enjoy a longer healthy life than those anywhere else in England and Wales, other parts of the city tell a much different story.
Healthy life expectancy describes the number of years a person can expect to live in ‘very good’ or ‘good’ general health, based on how individuals perceive their own health. Healthy life expectancy can be impacted by a number of factors, such as illness and mobility, and reflects the quality of life an individual experiences.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average healthy life expectancy in the UK as a whole has dropped in recent years. Between 2022 and 2024, compared with 2019 to 2021, healthy life expectancy among females dropped by over two years in every region of England except London.
While London residents tend to fare best when looking at the picture across England, the city itself contains some extreme differences, with residents of certain areas averaging around 20 years worse off than their close neighbours.
For Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Hyde Park residents, the average healthy life expectancy for men in the area is 78.3 years and 81.2 years for women. Those are the longest healthy life expectancies of any small area, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
You can see the healthy life expectancy in your local area by using our interactive map:
London also has several examples of neighbouring areas having huge life expectancy gaps. The Regent’s Park neighbourhood of Westminster has healthy life expectancies of 73.2 for males and 74.9 for females. Cross over Lisson Grove, however, and you’re into the Church Street area where males have a healthy life expectancy of just 57.5 years and females 58.0 years.
Across the river we have Southfields North in Wandsworth with its healthy life expectancies of 74.2 years for males and 73.7 years for females. That neighbours West Hill North where the averages are 59.4 years for males and 61.3 for females.
Meanwhile, Crouch End West in Haringey with averages of 71.6 years for males and 73.0 years for females borders Highcroft & Holly Park in Islington with averages of just 58.2 years for males and 61.0 years for females.
Looking beyond London, the shortest healthy life expectancy in the country is in the North East. Men living in the Central Stockton & Portrack neighbourhood of Stockton-on-Tees outside Middlesbrough have a healthy life expectancy of just 47.7 years, representing a difference of 30.6 years of being in good general health compared to men in Knightsbridge.
For females, the lowest healthy life expectancy is in Grimsby East Marsh & Port in North East Lincolnshire. The average there is 49.0 years, a gap of 32.2 years compared to Knightsbridge.
In England, the median healthy life expectancy at birth for males was 65.3 years. For females it was 66.8 years. In Wales the averages were 62.5 years for males and 63.8 for females.
A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that poverty is the biggest driver in the gaps in healthy life expectancy. A report by JRF found that a female living in the least deprived areas of the country will spend 82 per cent of their life in good health.
That drops to just 65 per cent in the most deprived areas, equating to 20 fewer years of life in good health. For males the gap is 19 years, with men in the least deprived areas spending 85 per cent of their lives in good health compared to 70 per cent in the most deprived areas.
Scot Hunter, Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “It isn’t right that where you live impacts how long you can expect to live in good health. It’s striking but not surprising that people who spend more of their life in poor health are more likely to live in places that lost key industries: like manufacturing and mining towns as well as seaside towns and inner-city neighbourhoods.”
He added: “We know that as well as struggling economically, many of these areas have lost the community groups, places and activities that brought people together. Compared to similar places that still have their community centres, youth clubs and sports halls, people in these doubly disadvantaged areas are more likely to be living in poor health. The story isn’t just about the economies of these places, but whether there’s someone or somewhere in your neighbourhood that helps you feel connected, confident and in control. We need to invest in this vital infrastructure if we want people in every place to live healthier, more resilient lives.”
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