UK Life Expectancy and Smoking Rates: Current Trends and Statistics
UK life expectancy remains below pre-pandemic levels while smoking rates show an unexpected rise in certain regions.
Life expectancy in the UK has yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, according to recent estimates.
A baby girl born between 2021 and 2023 can expect an average lifespan of 82.8 years, while a baby boy is projected to live for 78.8 years.
These figures are below the life expectancies for those born during the pre-COVID-19 years of 2017-2019, which were 83.0 years for females and 79.3 years for males.
Furthermore, there has been little change in life expectancy estimates since the three-year period leading up to 2021-2023, where girls born in 2018-2020 had an estimated life expectancy of 82.8 years and boys 79.0 years.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) attributes this decline in life expectancy to a spike in deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020 and 2021. Prior to the pandemic, life expectancy in the UK had improved steadily over the decades, although the rate of improvement began to slow in the 2010s, leading to a plateau before the pandemic.
In terms of regional variations, England reports the highest life expectancy for babies born in 2021-2023, with an expected lifespan of 83.0 years for females and 79.1 years for males.
Conversely, Scotland records the lowest figures at 80.8 years for females and 76.8 years for males.
For Wales, life expectancies are 82.0 years for females and 78.1 for males, while figures for Northern Ireland stand at 82.5 years for females and 78.8 for males.
Additionally, the UK has observed a significant rise in the population of individuals aged 90 and over, totaling approximately 611,719 in 2023, up from 609,898 the previous year.
This represents a 54% increase since 2003, when the population in this age bracket was recorded at 397,793.
The increase is largely attributed to improvements in health and lifestyle, particularly among men, whose numbers in this category have more than doubled over the past two decades.
In contrast, the number of women aged 90 and older has plateaued, numbering 408,216 in 2023, which is an increase of roughly one-third from 2003.
The population of centenarians has also become a focal point, with an estimated 16,140 people aged 100 or over in the UK in 2023, down slightly from 16,200 in 2022. The total number of centenarians saw a 35% increase between 2018 and 2023, a trend notable for its connection to a post-World War I baby boom, although recent years have shown a slowdown in growth due to declining birth rates in subsequent decades.
In relation to smoking trends in England, recent research indicates that smoking rates have risen for the first time since 2006, highlighting a concerning shift after years of decline.
Data collected from over 350,000 adults over an 18-year period revealed that the overall proportion of smokers fell from 25.3% in 2006 to 16.5% in 2024. However, since 2020, smoking rates in southern England have increased by 10%, contrasting with a decline of 9.7% in the north, where effective tobacco control programs have likely contributed to reduced rates.
The largest increase was observed in the south-west, where smoking rates rose by 17%.
Current estimates suggest that approximately 7.5 million adults in England still smoke, with concentrated rises in London and the south-east.
Experts have expressed concern regarding potential cuts to integrated commissioning boards that fund essential smoking cessation services, emphasizing the need for continued investment to prevent slips in progress.
Authorities have stated commitments to support smoking cessation initiatives, including an additional £70 million earmarked for local stop smoking services this year.
The discourse around public health and smoking in the UK continues to evolve, reflecting both achievements and emerging challenges in tobacco control and population health.
A baby girl born between 2021 and 2023 can expect an average lifespan of 82.8 years, while a baby boy is projected to live for 78.8 years.
These figures are below the life expectancies for those born during the pre-COVID-19 years of 2017-2019, which were 83.0 years for females and 79.3 years for males.
Furthermore, there has been little change in life expectancy estimates since the three-year period leading up to 2021-2023, where girls born in 2018-2020 had an estimated life expectancy of 82.8 years and boys 79.0 years.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) attributes this decline in life expectancy to a spike in deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020 and 2021. Prior to the pandemic, life expectancy in the UK had improved steadily over the decades, although the rate of improvement began to slow in the 2010s, leading to a plateau before the pandemic.
In terms of regional variations, England reports the highest life expectancy for babies born in 2021-2023, with an expected lifespan of 83.0 years for females and 79.1 years for males.
Conversely, Scotland records the lowest figures at 80.8 years for females and 76.8 years for males.
For Wales, life expectancies are 82.0 years for females and 78.1 for males, while figures for Northern Ireland stand at 82.5 years for females and 78.8 for males.
Additionally, the UK has observed a significant rise in the population of individuals aged 90 and over, totaling approximately 611,719 in 2023, up from 609,898 the previous year.
This represents a 54% increase since 2003, when the population in this age bracket was recorded at 397,793.
The increase is largely attributed to improvements in health and lifestyle, particularly among men, whose numbers in this category have more than doubled over the past two decades.
In contrast, the number of women aged 90 and older has plateaued, numbering 408,216 in 2023, which is an increase of roughly one-third from 2003.
The population of centenarians has also become a focal point, with an estimated 16,140 people aged 100 or over in the UK in 2023, down slightly from 16,200 in 2022. The total number of centenarians saw a 35% increase between 2018 and 2023, a trend notable for its connection to a post-World War I baby boom, although recent years have shown a slowdown in growth due to declining birth rates in subsequent decades.
In relation to smoking trends in England, recent research indicates that smoking rates have risen for the first time since 2006, highlighting a concerning shift after years of decline.
Data collected from over 350,000 adults over an 18-year period revealed that the overall proportion of smokers fell from 25.3% in 2006 to 16.5% in 2024. However, since 2020, smoking rates in southern England have increased by 10%, contrasting with a decline of 9.7% in the north, where effective tobacco control programs have likely contributed to reduced rates.
The largest increase was observed in the south-west, where smoking rates rose by 17%.
Current estimates suggest that approximately 7.5 million adults in England still smoke, with concentrated rises in London and the south-east.
Experts have expressed concern regarding potential cuts to integrated commissioning boards that fund essential smoking cessation services, emphasizing the need for continued investment to prevent slips in progress.
Authorities have stated commitments to support smoking cessation initiatives, including an additional £70 million earmarked for local stop smoking services this year.
The discourse around public health and smoking in the UK continues to evolve, reflecting both achievements and emerging challenges in tobacco control and population health.
