Demographic Trends in UK | Death Rates and Life Expectancy
Death Rates and Life Expectancy:
Death rate refers to the rate of deaths per 1000 of the population in the UK- sometimes referred to as crude mortality rate
Life expectancy refers to the average length of time that somebody born in that year is expected to live
These figures are often presented by geographical areas and can be linked to the level of deprivation in an area
Death Rates over time:
UK deaths totalled 530,841 in 2019- a death rate of 8.8 deaths per 1000 of population
The male death rate was 9.0 per 100, female 8.8 per 1000, with negligible difference between the number of male and female deaths for the first time since the mid-1980s
The lowest death rate since 2014 but a steady decline since 1977 when it peaked at 12.1 per 1000
Life expectancy over time:
ONS reported expected life for males at 80.3 years and females at 83.8 years in 2019
Projected to reach 85.3 for males and 87.9 for females by 2050- the gap between male and female life expectancy has been closing in recent years
Life expectancy for new-born baby boys was highest in Kensington and Chelsea (83.3 years) and lowest in Blackpool (74.7 years)
For newborn baby girls, life expectancy was highest in Chiltern (86.7 years) and lowest in Middlesborough (79.8 years)
Why are people living longer:
Advances in medicine
Changes in lifestyles
Changes to employment
Higher standards of living
Advances in medicine:
Creation of the NHS and the welfare state
Research and development into medicines
Greater use of technology in medical assessments- e.g. MRI scans, keyhole surgery
Changes in lifestyles:
Healthier diets due to the availability of products from around the world
More active lifestyles- growth of gym and personal fitness industry
Greater awareness of illness and disease and taking preventative action
Greater awareness around well-being and promotion of work-life balance
Changes to employment:
Decline of traditional male jobs that increased wear and tear on men’s bodies
Health and Safety legislation and employee health programmes
Flexible working and career progression
State bodies created to investigate conditions at work, e.g. Health and Safety Executive
Higher standards of living:
Although in recent years there has been wage stagnation, there has been improvement in standards of living
Estimated £2500 per annum spent by each UK household on health, fitness and diet
More leisure and time spent with family
Better housing- central heating, double glazing, less damp
Evaluations:
North-South divide in terms of quality of life
The majority of local areas in the bottom 50 with the lowest life expectancy at birth (68% of areas for boys and 70% for girls) were in the North East, the North West and Wales
The top 50 local areas with the highest male life expectancy at birth were in the South East, East of England, South West, London and East Midlands only
For females, the top 50 included in these regions and 1 each in the North West and Yorkshire and the The Humbler