Life expectancy among the East Riding’s poorest men nearly seven years lower than well-off peers, according to Office for Health Improvement and Disparities data

Data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that across 2020 and 2021, the average life expectancy for men in the East Riding stood at 79.3 years.

But men from the wealthiest fifth of the area’s population can expect to live to 81.3 years – 6.9 years more than the least well-off males.

Deaths due to cancer were the main reason behind lower life expectancy for the area’s poorer men over 2020 and 2021 – reducing their expected life span by 1.7 years.

Meanwhile, average life expectancy for women in the area was 83.2 years in 2020 and 2021 – with the least deprived women expected to live 5 years longer than those from the area’s poorer communities.

David Finch, assistant director at the Health Foundation, a charity working to tackle health inequalities said: “There are staggering differences in life chances in the UK depending on where people live. Such marked differences in health are partly related to the varying conditions in which people are born, live and work.”

While there were stark differences in life expectancy within the East Riding, the expected life span for men in the area was above the national average of 78.7 years.

Across England, the largest within-area gap was in Hartlepool, where the least deprived men can expect to live more than 12 years longer than the most deprived. Blackpool had the lowest life expectancy for both men and women, at 73 and 78.5 years respectively.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said tackling health disparities is a “priority” for the Government.

“Later this year we will set out bold action in a white paper to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places, so that people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.

“We are also helping local authorities improve public health by increasing their grant to just over £3.4 billion this year, and we are investing a further £39 billion in overall health and care over the next three years.”