Life expectancy in England reached a record high in 2025, but significant regional disparities have persisted and, in some cases, widened over the past decade, according to recent analysis by the King’s Fund. The divide between the North and South of England remains marked, with people living in northern regions experiencing little or no improvement in lifespan, while gains were primarily concentrated in southern areas.
Almost half of England’s population resides in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, and the East and West Midlands—regions where life expectancy has stagnated or declined in the decade leading up to 2023-25. In contrast, London and the South East, South West, and East of England have seen continued increases in average longevity, despite London enduring the sharpest drop during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The gap is particularly stark between London and the North East, where life expectancy differs by about three years on average. The discrepancy is even more pronounced at a local level; for example, men in Blackpool, Lancashire, can expect to live around ten years less than men in Hart, Hampshire, with a similar eight-year gap for women.
Beyond overall lifespan, the divide extends to healthy life expectancy—the number of years individuals live in good health. While life expectancy in England rose to its highest levels, healthy life expectancy fell by approximately 2.5 years over the decade leading to 2022-24. Those living in the least deprived areas can expect to live about ten years longer overall than those in the most deprived areas, and healthy life expectancy presents an even greater gap: as much as 20 years separating the most and least deprived groups.
Higher rates of early deaths from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, suicide, and alcohol- and drug-related fatalities disproportionately affect northern and more deprived communities. Veena Raleigh, senior fellow at the King’s Fund, described these figures as a “mark of shame for an affluent country,” emphasizing that the problem extends beyond healthcare alone. She highlighted the need for comprehensive, cross-government efforts focusing on prevention, social determinants of health such as secure employment, fair pay, housing, environmental quality, and access to healthy food.
The government’s 10-year Health Plan aims to increase healthy life expectancy for all and halve the gap between the richest and poorest; however, critics argue that progress has been insufficient. While some public health initiatives have been implemented, much of the focus remains on reducing healthcare waiting times rather than addressing root causes of health inequality.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the challenge as “complex and significant” and emphasized ongoing efforts to redistribute funding more equitably and empower local decision-making. The government reiterated its commitment to tackling health disparities, stating that “someone’s postcode should never dictate how long they live.”
The persistently low life expectancy in northern and deprived areas contrasts with improvements seen in southern and more affluent regions, underscoring enduring social and economic inequalities that experts say require urgent, multifaceted action to close the gap and improve population health across England.