Life expectancy returns to near pre-pandemic levels, but stark differences remain
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 17th December
Average life expectancy in Scotland has risen to near pre-pandemic levels, according to new figures published by National Records of Scotland (NRS), but the difference between the most and least deprived areas remains stark.
Life expectancy at birth in Scotland was 81.06 years for females and 77.12 years for males in 2022–2024, an increase of 14 and 18 weeks respectively.
However, Scotland continues to have the lowest life expectancy of all UK countries, and the difference between the most and least deprived areas was 10.5 years for women and 13.2 years for men.
“Between the early 1980s and early 2010s, life expectancy was increasing in Scotland,” NRS notes. “In 2012–2014 life expectancy started to stall. It stayed at a similar level for several years, and then decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has increased again since then and is now at a similar level to before the pandemic.”
Earlier in the year, official statistics showed that the time people in Scotland spend in good health has fallen to a near ten-year low, with a 14-year difference between the areas with the longest and shortest healthy life expectancy.
A recent joint statement on prevention set out the need for action on how Scotland addresses its health inequalities crisis, with differences in life expectancy a key indicator of the urgency required.
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