Life expectancy at age 65 in the United Kingdom has reached its highest level ever for both men and women. Men aged 65 could expect to live a further 16.6 years and women a further 19.4 years if mortality rates remained the same as they were in 2003-05.
Within the United Kingdom, life expectancy varies by country. The highest expectations of life at age 65 occurred in England at 16.8 years for men and 19.6 years for women and the lowest in Scotland at 15.5 years and 18.4 years respectively. The equivalent figures for Wales and Northern Ireland are a little lower than those for England.
Life expectancy at birth is also at its highest level for both males and females. Boys and girls born in the United Kingdom could expect on average to live to 76.6 years and 81.0 years of age respectively.
The increase in life expectancy among older adults has been particularly dramatic in recent years. Between 1980-82 and 2003-05 life expectancy at age 65 in the United Kingdom increased by 3.7 years for males and 2.5 years for females. Around one-third of this increase occurred over the last five years. In general the increases in life expectancy over the same period have been broadly similar for each country. However, on average, for males in Scotland the increase was lower at 3.2 years. Conversely, females in Northern Ireland experienced a higher increase of 3.1 years. By comparison, expectation of life at birth in the United Kingdom has increased by 5.8 years for males and 4.2 years for females over the same period. Women continue to live longer than men, but the gap has been closing in recent years.
Improving mortality rates mean that the chance of a new born boy reaching age 65 has increased from 74 per cent (based on mortality rates experienced in 1980-82) to 84 per cent (based on mortality rates in 2003-05). For females the chance has increased from 84 per cent to 90 per cent. Allowing for the latest projected future improvements in mortality, it is estimated that a boy born in the United Kingdom in 2004 will have a 90 per cent change of reaching age 65 and a girl a 94 per cent chance.
Source:
Office for National Statistics and Government Actuary's Department
Changes in life expectancy 1900-1990 (1992-632).
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 55(6 Suppl):1196S-1202S, 1992 Jun.
Life expectancy at birth has risen in all industrialized countries during the last 100 years, but mortality improvements by gender and region often have proceeded at very different rates. Although some countries have experienced increases in overall mortality during recent decades, the levels of life expectancy gains in countries such as Japan have confounded demographic predictions and have led to renewed research and debate over future mortality decline and the limits to human life. This paper reviews levels of and changes in life expectancy at birth and at older ages in industrialized countries during the 20th century. Trends in mortality and morbidity at older ages are summarized in the context of the historic epidemiological disease transition from infectious to chronic. Cause-specific and active/inactive decompositions of life expectancy are examined, as are initial attempts to correlate life expectancy with physical attributes that may reflect differential nutritional status..
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