People in deprived areas of England more than twice as likely to die early, study shows

Premature death risk also varies according to employment and qualifications, shows analysis ‘laying bare the scale of inequalities’

People living in the most deprived areas of England are more than twice as likely to die prematurely than their more affluent counterparts, according to analysis.

The research, conducted by the Health Foundation, took demographic data from the 2021 census to look at differences in premature mortality rates – defined as any adult who died before their 75th birthday – alongside further data on deaths from March 2021 to December 2023.

Both men and women living in the most deprived areas were shown to have a risk of early death 2.3 times higher than their counterparts in the least deprived areas, according to the analysis, at a rate of 815 premature deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 353 premature deaths per 100,000 people.

Furthermore, women with no qualifications were found to have a premature mortality rate 2.5 times higher than those with a degree or higher, while men who are long-term unemployed or have never worked have a rate 3.5 times as high as those in higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations.

Regionally, such inequalities were highest in the north-east, north-west and Yorkshire and The Humber, and lowest in London. For example, the rate for females who have never worked or are long-term unemployed is 796 deaths per 100,000 people in the north-west – 72% higher than London (462 deaths per 100,000).

This research further signals a decline in healthy life expectancy, with previous analysis indicating that the UK population’s health is poor, getting worse and not undergoing the same steady improvement seen in countries such as Japan, Norway and Spain.

“These findings lay bare the scale of the inequalities that continue to shape people’s chances of living a long and healthy life,” said Freya Tracey, principal data analyst at the Health Foundation.

She added: “Where you live, the opportunities available to you, and the circumstances you are born into should not determine your risk of dying early. A cross-government approach is needed to reduce inequalities in the building blocks of health – including education, employment and local economic conditions.

“The government’s approach to devolution must include supporting local areas to deliver prevention to reduce health inequalities. Without sustained action, inequalities will continue to cut lives short.”

Regarding ethnicity, Black Caribbean men were found to have the highest male rate of premature mortality, closely followed by white British men, at rates of 573 and 537 deaths per 100,000 respectively, while Chinese men had the lowest rate, at 284 deaths per 100,000. White British and Black Caribbean women had the highest female rates of premature death, at 370 and 367 per 100,000 respectively, whereas Chinese women had the lowest observed rate, at 181 deaths per 100,000.

Jabeer Butt, the chief executive at the Race Equality Foundation, said that although these figures appear to challenge much of what we know about racism and health inequalities, lower premature mortality in some ethnic groups does not mean they experience better health or that racism is unimportant.

He added: “What our analysis shows is that we need to look beyond ethnicity alone, to understand how migration, poverty, employment, housing and discrimination interact to shape people’s chances of living a long and healthy life”.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.