Rutland is the place to be if you want a long healthy life

November 29, 2016

Figures give latest estimates for life expectancy across the UK
Show that Rutland comes top of ranking for healthy lifespans for males
Also rates in the top five for females based on data from 2013-2015
Rutland has low crime levels, high wages and below-average rainfall
Statistics show deep divides on life expectancy and health across UK

James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published:
07:03 EST, 29 November 2016

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Updated:
11:07 EST, 29 November 2016

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Rutland is the place to be if you want a long healthy life, according to new figures.

Baby boys born in the quiet East Mids county can expect to be in good health for more time than anywhere else in the country.

It also ranks fifth in the league table for healthy life expectancy among girls.

The attractions of Rutland have been highlighted in figures produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – which also lay bare the deep divisions across the UK.

Rutland had the longest healthy life expectancy for baby boys, while Tower Hamlets had the lowest, according the ONS figures

These are the worst five areas for healthy life expectancy for males and females, according to the ONS figures

Those born in the top-rated areas can expect to be in good health nearly for two decades more than those in the worst.

Based on data gathered between 2013 and 2015, the average lifespan across the UK is 79.2 years for boys and 82.9 for girls.

Wealthy Kensington Chelsea in London has the highest life expectancy for men at 83.4 years, while the lowest is Glasgow City at just 73.4.

The highest estimate for women is 86.7 years in Hart in the South East, compared to 78.7 in West Dunbartonshire.

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Overall males will spend some 63.1 years in good health – up 0.4 years since the 2009-2011 period but still 0.8 years less than females.

The proportion of their lives that men are in good health is actually falling – because healthy lifespans are rising more slowly than overall expectancy.

For baby boys, Rutland had the highest estimates for healthy life expectancy at 71.1 years.

The bottom ranking location for males was Tower Hamlets on 54.0 years.

THE BEST AND WORST PLACES FOR HEALTHY LIFESPANS

TOP FIVE FOR BOYS:

1 Rutland

2 Wokingham

3 Buckinghamshire

4 Windsor and Maidenhead

5 Harrow

BOTTOM FIVE FOR BOYS

1 – Kingston Upon Hull

2 – Glasgow

3 – Manchester

4 – Blaenau Gwent

5 – Tower Hamlets

TOP FIVE FOR GIRLS:

1- Orkney Islands

2- Richmond Upon Thames

3 – Fermanagh and Omagh

4 – Wokingham

5 – Rutland

BOTTOM FIVE FOR GIRLS

Manchester

Kingston Upon Hull

Hartlepool

Belfast

Antrim and Newownabbey

Rutland features in the top five areas for healthy lifespan for both men and women

For girls the best healthy span was 74.6 years on the Orkney Islands, and the worst was 51.4 years in Antrim and Newtownabbey.

The ceremonial county of Rutland only has around 40,000 inhabitants, with two small towns of Oakham and Uppingham.

Last year it was named as the best countryside location in which to live by the Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey.

Rutland scooped the award after some 96 per cent of residents reported good or fairly good health, and weekly earnings hit £626.

The county also enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the country, and rainfall below the national average.

The adult population is among the most happy, satisfied and content in Britain, according to official research on wellbeing.

However, living there doesn’t come cheap. Although the average price of £290,000 is way below what residents in big cities like London may be used to, it is considerably more than the £205,000 in Leicestershire.

Sarah Caul, Senior Health Researcher for the ONS, said: ‘Improvements to healthcare and living healthier lives mean that as a nation we are living longer and newborn boys and girls can expect to live for 79 and 83 years respectively.

‘However while we are living longer we are spending a smaller proportion of our overall lives in good health which puts a greater challenge on health services.’