England’s north-south life expectancy gap grows despite record longevity

The half of England’s population who live in five northern regions have experienced little or no rise in life expectancy. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

The north-south divide in life expectancy in England has grown over the past decade, with people in northern regions facing more illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, but also suicides and deaths related to alcohol and drug misuse.

Provisional figures show life expectancy reached an all-time high in 2025, with men and women in England living, on average, for 80 years and nearly 84 years respectively, but the gains were overwhelmingly in the south, the King’s Fund said.