Merseyside boroughs have some of the lowest life expectancies in the country, newly compiled figures reveal.
Information from the Office for National Statistics has shown that Liverpool has the fourth lowest life expectancy in the country on average, behind only Blackpool, Manchester and Middlesborough.
Neighbouring Knowsley has the seventh lowest life expectancy, while Cheshire's Halton also features in the lowest 20 local authorities in the country.
A shocking 13 of the 20 areas for the lowest rates of life expectancy are in the northwest of England.
Merseyside has long lagged behind other parts of the country in terms of life expectancy, part of a much larger divide between north and south.
Political figures in the city have often laid the blame for low life expectancy on austerity and cuts to health and social care services.
Speaking last year, Walton MP Dan Carden said cuts to these services were hitting deprived communities in Merseyside the most.
He said: " Liverpool has had its funding slashed by a staggering 64% since 2010, and the fact that life expectancy is now going backwards in the city is a stark reminder that cuts cost lives.
"We know that austerity disproportionately affects women who have borne the brunt of the government’s cuts to public services.
"The unjust policies of the last eight years must be reversed so that we can build a society that works for everyone."
The lower life expectancy also comes as recent years have seen a drop in the amount of time a person can expect to live a healthy life.
A Liverpool ECHO report last year indicated that three local authorities in Merseyside have seen drops in recent years for men, and two have seen drops for women.
