People in England's poorest areas are 2.3 times more likely to die early

Where you live in England still says a lot about how long you are likely to live. New analysis shows people in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to die early as those in the wealthiest ones.

What did the research find?

The Health Foundation, an independent health charity, looked at premature deaths, meaning any adult who died before their 75th birthday. It combined 2021 census data with figures on deaths from March 2021 to December 2023.

For both men and women, the risk of early death in the most deprived areas was 2.3 times higher than in the least deprived. That works out at 815 premature deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 353.

Jobs and education matter too. Women with no qualifications had a premature mortality rate 2.5 times higher than women with a degree or higher. Men who are long-term unemployed or have never worked had a rate 3.5 times higher than men in higher managerial, administrative and professional jobs.

Does it depend on region and ethnicity?

Yes. The gaps were widest in the north-east, north-west and Yorkshire and The Humber, and narrowest in London. Among women who have never worked or are long-term unemployed, the rate was 796 deaths per 100,000 in the north-west. In London it was 462, so the north-west figure is 72% higher.

The picture by ethnicity is more complicated. Black Caribbean men had the highest male rate at 573 deaths per 100,000, followed closely by white British men at 537. Chinese men had the lowest at 284. Among women, white British (370) and Black Caribbean (367) had the highest rates, and Chinese women the lowest at 181.

Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said a lower rate for some groups does not mean better health or that racism is unimportant. He said we need to look at how migration, poverty, employment, housing and discrimination interact.

What happens next?

Freya Tracey, principal data analyst at the Health Foundation, said the findings "lay bare the scale of the inequalities" shaping people's chances of a long, healthy life. She called for a cross-government approach to education, employment and local economic conditions.

She also said the government's approach to devolution, the shift of powers to local areas, must help councils deliver prevention. Without sustained action, she warned, inequalities will continue to cut lives short. The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.