The life expectancy of a female born in North Ayrshire is the lowest in Scotland, says a new report.
According to the National Records of Scotland (NRS), a baby girl born in the area is estimated to have a healthy life expectancy of just 56.3 years.
That’s a staggering 15 years less than in the Orkney region, which boasts the highest life expectancy of a baby girl anywhere in Scotland, at 75.1 years.
Equally worrying is the healthy life expectancy of a boy born in North Ayrshire, with the figures suggesting a life expectancy of only 58.5.
East Ayrshire does not fare much better.
A female born in this area has a life expectancy of 58.2 years, with a boy the figure is 59.3.
And in South Ayrshire, the healthy life expectancy of a girl born in the area is reportedly 63.2 years, while the figure for a boy comes in at 59.9 years.
For males, healthy life expectancy at birth was highest in East Dunbartonshire (69.8 years) and lowest in Glasgow City (54.6 years).
The figures are contained within a new report titled ‘Scotland’s Population 2020 – The Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends.’
And it’s areas of deprivation that show the worst outcomes.
The report says the death rate for all causes of death in the most deprived areas of Scotland was 1.9 times the rate in the least deprived areas.
In terms of previous years, the report shows that for males in Scotland, healthy life expectancy at birth has increased over the last decade but decreased for females.
The new report highlights differences in outcomes for people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived areas.
Nationally, the rates for drug-related deaths (18.4 times as large), alcohol-specific deaths (4.3 times as large), suicides (3.0 times as large), and COVID-19 deaths (2.4 times as large) were all notably higher in the most deprived areas.
Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: “Our report on Scotland’s Population in 2020 shows that the death rate from all causes in the most deprived areas of Scotland is nearly double the death rate of people in our least deprived areas. The difference in death rates is higher for drug-related deaths, alcohol-specific deaths, suicides, and COVID-19.
“People in more deprived areas can also expect far fewer years in good health. There is a 20+ year gap in healthy life expectancy between people in the least and most deprived areas.”
The full publication Scotland’s Population 2020 - The Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends is available on the NRS website.
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