Healthy life expectancy in the UK: a watershed moment

A new analysis from The Health Foundation reveals a significant and troubling decline in healthy life expectancy (HLE) across the UK, marking what the authors describe as a “watershed moment” for the nation’s health. Healthy life expectancy – the average number of years people can expect to live in good health – provides a broader picture of population health than life expectancy alone, capturing both quantity and quality of life.

A decade of decline
Between 2012–14 and 2022–24, healthy life expectancy fell by just over two years for both men and women, to around 60–61 years. This means that, on average, people are now spending a greater proportion of their lives in ill health. The decline has been seen across England, Scotland and Wales, with a more modest fall in Northern Ireland. Notably, women experienced larger declines than men in several nations.

Most areas now fall below pension age
In over 90% of UK local areas, healthy life expectancy is now below the state pension age of 66. In more than one in ten areas, it is below 55 years, indicating that many people are developing poor health during their working lives. While most areas have seen declines, London stands out, with a number of boroughs showing improvements over the decade.

Deepening health inequalities
The report highlights stark and widening inequalities. In England, the gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas has grown to around 20 years for both men and women. People in the most deprived communities not only live fewer years in good health, but also experience faster deterioration over time compared with more affluent areas.

International comparisons and causes
Compared with 20 other high‑income countries, the UK now ranks near the bottom for healthy life expectancy, having fallen from 14th to 20th place between 2011 and 2021. While life expectancy has remained broadly stable, the decline in healthy life expectancy is driven largely by worsening self‑reported health, particularly among working‑age adults, rather than by mortality alone.

A call for action
The Health Foundation concludes that this decline is not inevitable. The findings underline the need for a renewed, cross‑government approach that prioritises prevention, addresses the wider social and economic determinants of health, and tackles entrenched inequalities, placing population health on a par with economic growth in national policy.