The life expectancy for babies born in the North of England is a year less than the national average, new data has found.
Public health experts have warned of a widening gap between the North and the rest of England after also studying infant mortality rates, disabilities, unpaid care, and how people assess their own health.
Academics from the new Health Equity North (HEN) institute looked at data from the 2021 census and found babies born in the North – classed as the regions of the North East, North West or Yorkshire and Humber – are expected to live at least one year less than the rest of England.
In the North East, life expectancy is around three years less than in the best-performing regions.
Across the North, infant mortality was on average four in 1,000 live births, compared to three in 1,000 for London and the South East.
This worked out as 144 more infant deaths in the North East in 2021.
The North’s rates of bad health
The North has higher rates of bad or very bad health, with 6.9% of people in the North East, 6.4% in the North West, and 5.9% in Yorkshire and the Humber reporting bad or very bad health – compared to the English average of 5.3%.
And the five local authorities with the highest levels of people saying a disability limits their day-to-day activities a lot are in the North: Knowsley (North West; 13%), Liverpool (North West; 12.7%), Blackpool (North West; 12%), Manchester (North West; 11.4%) and Hartlepool (North East; 11.3%).
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Dr Luke Munford, a health economist from Manchester University, co-authored the report and said: “The northern regions have faced worse health outcomes for many years, and with the added challenges posed in the wake of the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis, things look set to continue on a downward spiral.
“However, a joined-up approach to tackle these inequalities at local and national level would help to rebalance regional health inequity.”
‘Everyone deserves the same chances’
Professor David Taylor-Robinson, HEN academic director, professor of public health and policy at the University of Liverpool, and co-author, said: “It is not acceptable that children born in the North face the prospect of shorter lives.
“Everyone deserves to have the same chances but we know that many families in the North face a daily struggle to meet basic needs.”
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The HEN institute academics will produce annual updates on health in the North and try to influence policy to reduce inequalities across the regions.
