Women in the poorest parts of Merseyside die younger than women in all OECD countries except Mexico.
New research from the Health Foundation compared life expectancy in England and the whole UK with that in 37 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. While the UK is 25th and England is 26th when OECD countries are ranked by life expectancy, a "concerning picture emerges" when the difference between England's rich and poor is analysed, according to the foundation's director of health, Jo Bibby.
Life expectancy of women in England's poorest areas puts them second in the ranking, while life expectancy in the country's poorest 10% of areas is higher only than Mexico, coming just behind Colombia, Latvia and Hungary. Women in these areas of England face a life expectancy of birth of 78.7 years, below the English average of 83.2 years. In the richest 10% of areas, women can expect to live almost eight years longer, with an average life expectancy of 86.4 years, lower only than Japan.
READ MORE: Wirral divide that cuts life expectancy by 10 years
Local authorities like Liverpool and Knowsley are among the most deprived areas in the England, with streets and wards poorer than almost anywhere else in the country. This is reflected in the shorter life expectancy for women in Kirkdale, Liverpool, where they can expect to live an average of 77 years. Women in the Northwood area of Kirkby, Knowsley, have a life expectancy at birth of 76.8 years.
This rises in richer parts of Merseyside. Life expectancy for women in Ravenmeols, Sefton is 86.9, and in Childwall in Liverpool, it is 86.5. In the Knowsley ward with the highest life expectancy - Whiston and Cronton - women can expect to live an average 84.5 years.
The Health Foundation says these gaps between the richest and poorest parts of the country show the extent of health inequalities in England. It warned the rising cost of living may make this worse.
Jo Bibby from the Health Foundation described the UK's performance in the ranking as "a somewhat disappointing showing for the world's fifth largest economy". Jo said: "The stark reality in the UK is that the poorest can expect to live shorter and less healthy lives than their richer counterparts.
"The government has committed to addressing stalling life expectancy and this has been described as a core part of the levelling up agenda. However, the government has so far failed to acknowledge the mountain it needs to climb to bring life chances in the UK in line with other comparable countries.
"Investing in people's health is an investment in the economy. For many people, poor health is a significant barrier to work and training. The economic impact of lost output and health costs associated with poor health adds up – these are estimated to cost the UK economy around £100bn a year.
"If we are to see progress, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the government’s approach, from a focus on people's individual responsibility and choices towards actively creating the social and economic conditions that enable them to live healthier lives. This means providing secure jobs, adequate incomes, decent housing and high-quality education.
"To achieve this, improving health should be made an explicit objective of every major policy decision. Otherwise, the gap between rich and poor will further widen and 'levelling up' will remain little more than a slogan."
