Healthy Life Expectancy decreases

Healthy life expectancy has decreased across Scotland, with the average healthy life expectancy at birth for males at 61.7 years and 61.9 years for females, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland.

Figures for 2017-2019, show that the gap in healthy life expectancy at birth between the most and least deprived areas was 25.1 years for males and 21.5 years for females.

Healthy life expectancy at birth for males was highest in East Dunbartonshire, at 69.8 years and lowest in Glasgow City at 54.6 years.

For females, healthy life expectancy at birth was highest in Orkney at 75.1 years and lowest in North Ayrshire at 56.3 years.

Julie Ramsay, Head of Vital Events Statistics at NRS, said:

“Over the last decade healthy life expectancy has increased for males and decreased for females.  However, both males and females experienced a decrease  in healthy life expectancy over the latest year.  

“The decrease in healthy life expectancy coincides with a stalling of growth in life expectancy in recent years, and has resulted in a lower proportion of life being spent in good health  with 79.9% for males and 76.3% for females.”    

The publication Healthy Life Expectancy in Scotland, 2017-2019 and an infographic summary is available on the NRS website.