People in Birmingham and the West Midlands are still dying earlier than those in the south of England, and the life expectancy gap is widening, according to new analysis from The King's Fund. The health charity found that although life expectancy reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2025, gains were not evenly distributed across the country.
Northern regions falling behind
The King's Fund analysis shows a three-year difference in life expectancy between London and the North East, reflecting greater levels of deprivation in northern regions. For almost half of England's population living in the North—defined as the North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, East and West Midlands—life expectancy has consistently been the lowest nationally. In the decade up to 2023-25, there was little or no improvement in these areas, while life expectancy increased in London, the South East, the South West, and the East of England. London experienced the sharpest fall during the pandemic but has since recovered.
Healthy life expectancy on the decline
Overall, healthy life expectancy across England is on a downward trend, falling by about 2.5 years in the decade to 2022-24. The gap between the most and least deprived areas is stark: men in the least deprived 10% of areas can expect to live about a decade longer overall than men in the most deprived 10%, with a difference of eight years for women. When it comes to healthy life expectancy—the years spent in good health—the gap is even wider at two decades. This means people in deprived areas both have shorter lives and spend more of their lives in poor health.
Deprivation and preventable illness
A detailed comparison between London and the North East reveals that Northerners fare particularly badly in early deaths from heart disease and cancer, as well as suicide and deaths linked to alcohol and drug misuse. The King's Fund concluded that the Government's aim to increase healthy life expectancy for everyone and halve the gap between the richest and poorest regions looks "unrealistic." Achieving these goals would require improvements in population health on a scale not seen in recent decades. Veena Raleigh, senior fellow at the King's Fund, said: "That people in our Northern and deprived communities have seen little or no improvement in longevity over a decade, in contrast to the health gains in their Southern and more well-off counterparts, is a mark of shame for an affluent country." She added that addressing this inequity would reduce pressures on the NHS and the high economic costs of ill-health, but noted that the Government's modest moves on prevention fall short of the bold action needed.
Government response
UK life expectancy is now the lowest among comparable high-income countries, apart from Germany and the US. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Someone’s postcode should never dictate how long they live, and this Government is determined to tackle the stark inequalities that still exist across Britain. We’re already taking action, from allocating GP funding more fairly to delivering pioneering Neighbourhood Health Centres in the areas that need them most. But we will now go further in devolving power to local communities, putting decision-making into the hands of those who know their areas best, and driving lasting change across the country."
