London runs a postcode lottery when it comes to life expectancy, with children born in some areas predicted to live eight years longer than others. Babies born in the parliamentary constituencies of Bethnal Green and Bow, Dagenham and Rainham, or Erith and Thamesmead will live an average of 80 years, according to new research from Health Equals.
That’s the lowest life expectancy of any part of the capital, and it’s a calculated aggregate of men and women. Meanwhile, in the Cities of London and Westminster constituencies, the average life expectancy is 88 years, a gap of eight years, which is not only the highest in London, but also the highest of any constituency. from United Kingdom.
Research has shown a stark contrast in the health and well-being of Londoners depending on where they live. Experts have found that poor air quality and poor mental health disproportionately affect people with lower incomes, with Mayor Sadiq Khan saying after a 2017 investigation that it was “unacceptable that wealth, background and a person’s ZIP code have such a major impact on their overall health. .
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Of those areas, several are recognized as the poorest communities in London, with almost half of the children living in the Barking and Dagenham boroughs living in poverty. Whilst a vibrant multi-cultural community, it is home to the UK’s largest public property and an estimated four in 10 people in the area are in fuel shortage.
While his council has desperately tried to alleviate its poverty crisis by launching a cost-of-living alliance, nearly one in four residents have less than £100 saved. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that of the borough’s 100 residents, 49 were among the 20 per cent most income deprived in England.
Several of its main streets are dominated by local supermarkets, independent butchers and takeaways, and a research director for Kosy Co Living previously told MyLondon that the area was one of the least gentrifying in London. While new housing developments have sprung up and transport links have improved, Dagenham has lagged behind in terms of quality of life, with higher levels of poverty and crime.
Meanwhile, Bethnal Green and Bow has the highest child poverty rate in the UK, with 56% of children living in poverty as of January 2023. An estimated 8,000 are food insecure in the Tower Hamlets district with around 21,500 families on the housing waiting list.
Meanwhile, 41% of children in Erith and Thamesmead were growing up in poverty according to figures from London Challenge Poverty Week in 2020. Data from Health Equals revealed that the top five constituencies with the longest life expectancy were Westminster North (85), Hampstead and Kilburn (86), Richmond Park (86), Kensington (87) with the cities of London and Westminster in first place with an average age of 88 years.
Across the UK, there is a 13-year gap between the constituencies with the shortest and longest life expectancy.
Blackpool South has the lowest value of any constituency in the UK at 75 years. It is followed by three other English districts with 76 years each: Leeds Central, Manchester Central and Middlesbrough, as well as a large number of places in Glasgow. The cities of London and Westminster have the longest life expectancy of any constituency at 88 years, giving a 13-year gap between the top and bottom areas.
Carrie Hume, Director of Health Equals, said: “Our members are diverse but carry the same message. The size of the UK life expectancy gap is entirely preventable, but not enough attention is paid to how our interactions with the world around us shape our health.
“We call on politicians to take action, do more to understand what shapes our health, and create plans to improve our chances for good health.”
John Godfrey, director of Leveling Up, Legal & General added: “Life expectancy has plateaued for the first time in 100 years, while in some areas of the UK, life expectancy is reversing. The UK is one of the richest countries in the world, and yet people spend more time with health problems. It is damaging society, our economy and causing unnecessarily interrupted lives across the UK.”
Here’s a full list of London constituencies and their life expectancy:
Bethnal Green and Arch: 80
Dagenham and Rainham: 80
Erith and Thamesmead: 80
Barks: 81
Bermondsey and Old Southwark: 81
Bexleyheath and Crayford: 81
Croydon Centre: 81
North Croydon: 81
Greenwich and Woolwich: 81
Hayes and Harlington: 81
Lewisham, Deptford: 81
Poplar and Limehouse: 81
Westham: 81
Bromley and Chislehurst: 82
Camberwell and Peckham: 82
Ealing, Southall: 82
Eastern Ham: 82
Edmonton: 82
North Enfield: 82
Feltham and Heston: 82
Hackney North and Stoke Newington: 82
Hackney South and Shoreditch: 82
Hammer: 82
Hornchurch and Upminster: 82
North Islington: 82
Islington South and Finsbury: 82
Kingston and Surbiton: 82
Lewisham East: 82
Lewisham West and Penge: 82
Leyton and Wanstead: 82
Mitcham and Morden: 82
Romford: 82
Street: 82
Sutton and Cheam: 82
Tottenham: 82
Uxbridge and South Ruislip: 82
Vauxhall: 82
Walthamstow: 82
Battersea: 83
Brent Center: 83
Brentford and Isleworth: 83
Carshalton and Wallington: 83
South Croydon: 83
Dulwich and West Norwood: 83
Ealing Central and Acton: 83
Eltham: 83
Hornsey and Wood Green: 83
Ilford South: 83
Putney: 83
Playing: 83
Brent North: 84
Chingford and Woodford Green: 84
Chipped Barnet: 84
North Ealing: 84
Enfield, Southgate: 84
East Tier: 84
West Tier: 84
Ilford North: 84
Orpington: 84
Twickenham: 84
Wimbledon: 84
Beckham: 85
Chelsea and Fulham: 85
Finchley and Golders Green: 85
Hendon: 85
Holborn and St Pancras: 85
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner: 85
Westminster North: 85
Hampstead and Kilburn: 86
Richmond Park: 86
Kensington: 87
Cities of London and Westminster: 88
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