Pandemic Blamed As Life Expectancy Falls To The Lowest Level In A Decade

AFTER 10 years of improvement life expectancy in the UK has fallen for both men and women, driven mainly by Covid carnage.

- Aine Fox

The decline has led health experts to call for help to spot illnesses earlier, and boosts in provision for the poor.

A boy born between 2020 and 2022 is expected to live until he is 78.6, while a girl born in that period is expected to reach an average of 82.6, the Office for National Statistics said.

Compared with 2017 to 2019, life expectancy has fallen by 38 weeks from 79.3 years for males and by 23 weeks from 83 years for females.

The ONS said the pandemic had led to increased mortality in 2020 and 2021, and the impact is now seen in the latest life expectancy estimates.

But the statisticians said this does not mean a baby born between 2020 and 2022 will live a shorter life, as life expectancy can increase as mortality rates improve over time.

Pamela Cobb from the ONS said: "After a decade of slowing life expectancy improvements, we've now seen life expectancy fall for both men and women.

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