01 June 2007
Men living in England and Wales' poorest wards suffer poor health and disability for 5.5 years longer on average than those in the richest wards, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS's report, Inequalities in health, published on May 24, found that, on average, men in the most deprived 5% of wards had a life expectancy of 71.5 years, but 17.7 years of those were with a disability. Meanwhile, men in the richest 5% of wards could expect to live to 79.1 years, only 11.2 of them with a disability.
'At birth, males in the least deprived [wards] could expect to spend about 14% of their life with a disability compared with 25% in the most deprived [wards], or about 1.75 times more of expected life,' the ONS said.
There was a similar inequality between the richest and poorest women. The richest 5% could expect to live for 82.4 years, 13 of them with a disability, while the poorest 5% had a life expectancy of 77.5 years and spent an average 20.9 of those with a disability.
The ONS report is based on statistics collected in the 2001 census. The figures mean that by the time men from the richest 5% of wards reach the national pension age of 65, they can expect to live another ten years without disability, but those from the poorest 5% can expect just under six years.
The findings came as Labour Party pressure group Compass published its own report, Closer to equality?, which finds the Labour government's record on health, housing and pay equality wanting.
Deputy leadership hopeful and report co-author Jon Cruddas MP said: 'Even in those areas where we are moving in the right direction there are too many exceptions where progress has not be made. If we continue to be afraid of the reaction of sections of the press to an overtly pro-equality agenda then progress will always be limited.'
A DoH spokesman said: 'Health inequalities are unacceptable and tackling them is a top priority for the government. We have incentivised primary care trusts and local authorities to tackle health inequalities in life expectancy, including within area health inequalities. This study further underlines the importance of local action on this.'
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