The Northern Ireland Department of Health today published the
statistical report ‘Life Expectancy in Northern Ireland 2022-24'.
The Department of Health are the official producers of life
expectancy figures for Northern Ireland. This report presents the
latest estimates of life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and
disability-free life expectancy. The report explores the extent to
which mortality within certain age groups and causes of death
contribute to the observed...Request free trial
The Northern Ireland Department of Health today published the
statistical report ‘Life Expectancy in Northern Ireland 2022-24'.
The Department of Health are the official producers of life
expectancy figures for Northern Ireland. This report presents the
latest estimates of life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and
disability-free life expectancy. The report explores the extent
to which mortality within certain age groups and causes of death
contribute to the observed variations in life expectancy over
time, in addition to inequality gaps between sexes, deprivation
levels, Health and Social Care Trusts and
Key Findings
Current Life Expectancy Estimates
- In 2022-24, life expectancy in Northern Ireland (NI) was
78.8 years for males and 82.6 years for females.
- Since 1980-82, life expectancy at birth has increased by
7.1 years for females and 9.6 years for males. However, over
the last ten years, life expectancy growth has slowed for males
while the slowdown in female life expectancy has been evident
over the last twelve years.
- Among the 11 Local Government Districts (LGD), male life
expectancy was highest in the Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD
(80.5 years) and lowest in the Belfast LGD (76.5 years). For
females, life expectancy was highest in the Lisburn &
Castlereagh and Fermanagh & Omagh LGDs (both 83.8 years)
and lowest in the Belfast LGD (80.5 years).
- Among the five Health & Social Care (HSC) Trust areas,
male and female life expectancy were highest in the South
Eastern HSC Trust (79.7 years and 83.2 years respectively) and
lowest in the Belfast HSC Trust (77.1 years and 81.1 years
respectively).
Decomposition of Life Expectancy Trend over the Last 5 Years
- While life expectancy at birth has increased by 0.1 years
for males and 0.2 years for females since 2018-20, the changes
were not statistically significant.
- A decrease in mortality among males aged 70 years or more,
had the largest positive contribution to the change (0.2
years), while increased mortality in males aged 40-69 had the
largest negative contribution (-0.2 years).
- While reduced mortality, mainly from COVID, Cancers, and
mental & behavioural disorders, contributed to a male life
expectancy increase of 0.6 years, this increase was largely
offset by increased mortality from a range of other causes.
- There was little change in female mortality across all age
groups. Any minor positive changes among some ages (most
notably 80-89 year olds), were mainly negated by small negative
changes for other ages (most notably 60-69 year olds)
- An increase of 0.5 years in female life expectancy, mainly
due to lower mortality from deaths due to COVID, Cancers, and
mental & behavioural disorders, was largely offset by 0.3
years due to reduced mortality mainly from diseases of the
digestive system, accidental causes and a range of other
causes.
Male-Female Gap
- In 2022-24, females in NI could expect to live 3.8 years
longer than males.
- Across all age groups, male mortality was higher than that
of females, most notably within the 70-79 years age group which
contributed 0.8 years to the gap.
- Higher male mortality from the combination of circulatory
disease (1.1 years), cancer (excluding breast) (1.1 years), and
accidental deaths (0.6 years) accounted for 2.8 years of the
gap.
Deprivation Gap
- In 2022-24, males living in the 20% most deprived areas of
NI could expect to live 74.6 years, 7.2 years less than those
living in the 20% least deprived areas (81.8 years).
- Female life expectancy in the 20% most deprived areas was
79.4 years, 5.5 years fewer than females in the 20% least
deprived areas (84.9 years).
- For both males and females, mortality across the majority
of causes of death was higher in the most deprived areas than
in the least deprived.
- Higher mortality from circulatory disease (1.5 years),
cancer (1.2 years) and accidental deaths (1.2 years) combined,
contributed over half of the male life expectancy deprivation
gap. There were also notable contributions from deaths due to
digestive diseases (0.7 years), respiratory disease (0.7 years)
and Suicide (0.7 years).
- Mortality from cancer (1.3 years) was the largest single
contributor to the female deprivation gap, almost half of which
(0.6 years) was due to lung cancer. Respiratory disease (1.1
years) and circulatory disease (0.8 years) also made notable
contributions to the gap.
Healthy and Disability-Free Life Expectancy
- Over the last five years, Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE)
decreased for both males and females, however the change for
males was not statistically significant.
- Female HLE decreased by 1.9 years from 62.1 years in
2018-20 to 60.2 years in 2022-24. Over the same period, male
HLE decreased by 0.8 years from 60.1 to 59.3 years however this
change was not statistically significant.
- Similar to HLE, female Disability-Free Life Expectancy
(DFLE) decreased over the last five years, by 2.4 years, from
59.0 years in 2018-20 to 56.6 years in 2022-24. Over the same
period, male DFLE decreased by 1.2 years from 58.2 to 57.1
however this change was not statistically significant.
- Between 2018-20 and 2022-24, the male HLE deprivation gap
widened by 2.9 years from 12.0 years to 14.9 years. Over the
same period, there was no notable change in the female HLE
deprivation gap which stood at 14.6 years in 2022-24.
- The female DFLE gap between the most and least deprived
males narrowed from 12.1 years in 2018-20 to 10.0 years in
2022-24. Over the same period, there was no notable change in
the gap for males which stood at 11.8 years in 2022-24.
Notes to editors:
Notes to Editors:
- This publication is one of a series of reports produced as
part of the NI Health & Social Care Inequalities Monitoring
System (HSCIMS) and presents the latest estimates of life
expectancy, healthy life expectancy and disability-free life
expectancy, along with a comprehensive analysis
of variations in life expectancy over time, in addition to
inequality gaps between sexes, deprivation levels, Health and
Social Care Trusts and Local Government Districts.
- ‘COVID' deaths in this report refer to ‘deaths due to
COVID-19' and use the same International Classification of
Disease Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes as reported by NISRA within
the Registrar General Annual Report.
- All life expectancy analyses and calculations are based on
official population data and deaths data sourced from the General
Register Office and published by NISRA. The analysis in this
report is based on the latest published data, which include
deaths registered up to 2024 and not necessarily occurring in
2024. While the majority of deaths are registered shortly after
death, there may be some delay in registering others,
particularly involving events such as infant death or suicide.
- The methodology used to calculate life expectancy is
consistent with that used in the HSCIMS bulletins.
- A review conducted by NISRA and the Coroner's Service into
the classification of undetermined deaths between 2015 and 2020,
has resulted in a series break in suicide deaths, caution should
therefore be taken when drawing comparisons with suicide and
accidental deaths contributions to life expectancy gaps with
years prior to 2015.
- All healthy and disability-free life expectancy analyses and
calculations are based on self-reported health data sourced from
the Health Survey Northern Ireland (HSNI) and population data
published by NISRA. The methodology used to calculate healthy and
disability-free life expectancy is consistent with that used in
the HSCIMS bulletins.
- It should be noted that due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, data collection between 2020/21 and 2022/23 for the
HSNI moved from face-to-face interviewing to telephone mode. This
may have influenced the responses given by respondents. In
addition, the sample size was lower as a result and children were
not included. To ensure the figures remained as representative as
possible of the entire population, data relating to children in
2019 was held constant from 2020 to 2022.
- This publication has been produced within three weeks of the
Registrar General Annual Report release from which vital events
data related to deaths could be obtained. As such, the figures
for 2022-24 contained within this publication are the latest,
official release of life expectancy estimates for Northern
Ireland.
- Inequalities between the 20% most deprived areas and the 20%
least deprived areas are measured. These areas are defined
according to the 2017 Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation
Measure (NIMDM).
- All HSCIMS reports and data tables are available to view and
download from the Departmental website at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/dhssps-statistics-and-research/health-inequalities-statistics
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