Life expectancy higher in south than north of England - and Blackpool is the lowest

There is a "clear divide" in life expectancy between the north and south of England, new figures suggest.

Areas in southern England dominate the latest list for the highest life expectancy at birth, making up the entire top 10 for both males and females, while no areas in the south appear in the top 10 for the lowest life expectancy.

Most local areas have also seen a fall in estimated life expectancy at birth, with the reduction driven by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Male life expectancy was highest in Hart in Hampshire, at 83.7 years, and lowest in Blackpool, Lancashire (73.4 years). Meanwhile, female life expectancy was highest in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, at 86.3 years, with the lowest being in Blaenau Gwent, Wales (78.9 years) followed by Blackpool (79 years).

Julie Stanborough, ONS deputy director of health and life events, said: "Although life expectancy has fallen across all regions and constituent countries, there is a clear geographical divide when it comes to areas with the best and worst outcomes. None of the 10 local areas with the highest life expectancy were located in the north of England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

"By contrast, of the 10 local areas with the lowest life expectancy, none were in the south of England."

The decrease in life expectancy during 2020 to 2022 has been "predominantly driven by the coronavirus pandemic", which led to "increased mortality in 2020 and 2021", she added.