IT’S TRUE: MONEY DOES BUY YOU A LONGER LIFE
But Lifestyle, Occupation, Gender and Retirement Health are all key contributors too
Key findings:
• In 70% of local authorities, household income predicts the area’s life expectancy to within just a single year
• Those living in Kensington and Chelsea live the longest in the UK to 86.6, 6 years above the national average. Average weekly household income is second highest in the country
• Glasgow has the lowest life expectancy of anywhere in the UK at just 74.0 years. Weekly household income is just £434 per week – ninth lowest in the country
• Many London boroughs buck the trend with high income levels but low life expectancy. A number of London commuter towns also follow this trend
• Conversely, much of South West London enjoys high income, yet life expectancy levels are not universally as high as might be expected. Similarly, those living in many London commuter towns such as Watford, Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading and Brighton also have a life expectancy that is less than the national average for people earning similar incomes.
Monday 12 April 2010: They say money can buy you anything, but that may be one step closer to being proven true today as new analysis by longevity experts Club Vita* reveals the full extent of the link between high affluence and increased life expectancy.
Club Vita analysed the correlation between how much people earn and life expectancy levels on a national scale to reveal direct links between the two. As the maps below show there are clear parallels between areas of high income and the chance to enjoy a long retirement. By contrast, many poorer areas of the country face a much shorter life after work, particularly with the State Retirement Age set to rise in the coming years.
Life Expectancy (years) Gross Household Income (p/week)
However as the maps show, the pattern across the UK is not universal. There are several anomalies where the direct link between affluence and life expectancy breaks down. For example, those living in Mid and West Wales buck the trend with residents living to well above the UK average age despite earning less than the UK average. Similarly, residents living in Northumbria, Norfolk and much of the South West all enjoy longer life expectancy than might perhaps be expected given their relatively low incomes.
Conversely, much of South West London enjoys high income, yet life expectancy levels are not universally as high as might be expected. Similarly, those living in many London commuter towns such as Watford, Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading and Brighton also have a life expectancy that is less than the national average for people earning similar incomes.
Nick Flint, Chief Executive of Club Vita comments: “The link between high wealth and increased life expectancy has been suspected but our analysis highlights the true extent of the longevity gap between the haves and have-nots in society. Across the UK we’ve seen life expectancy increasing more slowly at the lower end over the past 15 years and this trend looks set to continue.
“However, anomalies across the UK prove that there are other key factors that play an important role in determining how long people live. Club Vita’s analysis of pension schemes shows that for many people, it’s not how much you earn, but how you choose to spend it that really matters. We need to examine lifestyle, occupation and retirement circumstances more closely in order to help society as a whole to live longer but also to do so with dignity.
“A significant gap remains between male and female life expectancies, but the good news for men is that this gap is continuing to close. Over the past three decades, lifestyle improvements, particularly for men, have had a direct and positive effect on life spans. From a historical perspective there’s scope for men to catch up further. For example it’s only since World War 2 that the life expectancy gap really opened up amongst pensioners.
“Our work provides insight and understanding of these issues in order to give the likes of pension schemes, government and charities for the elderly the information they need to prepare for an aging population. For example, getting the sums right on issues such as life expectancy is crucial for pension schemes if they want to ensure they are properly financed and not acting as an unnecessary drain on company resources.”
Notes to Editors:
* Club Vita analysed the following information from the Office for National Statistics and Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics at the local authority level:
• ONS 2006 – 2008 period life expectancy at birth
• ONS and SNS 2007/08 weekly gross household income
According to the ONS data, average life expectancy for men and women in the UK as at the period 2006 – 2008 was 79.6 years, whilst mean average gross weekly household income was approximately £650.
Owing to lack of either life expectancy or income data, the City of London, Barnet, the Isles of Scilly and the Orkney Islands were not included in the analysis.
High resolution maps, detailed regional maps and Club Vita spokesmen are available on request.
Top and bottom twenty local authorities by life expectancy and gross weekly household income are as follows:
