HEALTHY life expectancy in the UK has fallen by more than two years over the decade 2012–14 to 2022–24, according to new analysis from The Health Foundation.
It now stands at 60.7 years for males and 60.9 years for females.
Healthy Life Expectancy
Healthy life expectancy is the average number of years a person would expect to live in good health based on mortality rates and self-reported levels of good health.
The measure provides a comprehensive measure of public health, The Health Foundation reported.
The UK is only one of five high-income countries that saw a drop in healthy life expectancy between 2011 and 2021, ranked as the second steepest fall behind the US.
Notably, overall life expectancy (excluding a temporary dip around the COVID-19 pandemic) has remained largely consistent.
This, The Health Foundation said, indicates that worsening self-reported health has been a key driver of decreasing healthy life expectancy.
Regional Changes in Healthy Life Expectancy
England, Scotland, and Wales all saw significant drops in healthy life expectancy, whereas Northern Ireland experienced less drastic changes.
Healthy life expectancy has now fallen below the state pension age of 66 years in more than 90% of local areas in the UK.
In more than 10% of local areas, healthy life expectancy now stands at less than 55 years.
Inequalities in Healthy Life Expectancy
Inequalities in healthy life expectancy between affluent and deprived areas have widened, analysis found.
The gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived deciles in England is now 19.4 years for males and 20.3 years for females.
Further, in the most deprived areas of the UK, healthy life expectancy has still not been restored to pre-pandemic levels.
Implications for Public Health
The Health Foundation reported that findings support mounting evidence that population health in the UK is declining, particularly among those of working age.
Governments have failed to take long-term action to manage the drop in healthy life expectancy, resulting in increasing economic burdens and human cost, the organisation said.
The foundation called for a new approach that positions the improvement of public health at the centre of government policy, alongside cross-government action on wider contributors to population health.
It also demanded a new strategy to address the growing economic and health inequalities exposed by findings.
Reference
The Health Foundation. Healthy life expectancy trends in the UK: a watershed moment. 2026. Available at: https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/healthy-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk-a-watershed-moment. Last accessed: 27 April 2026.
Featured image: Ivica Drusany on Adobe Stock
