Recent analysis highlighted by the BBC and The Guardian shows a worrying shift in the nation’s health: people in the UK are not only living longer, but spending more of those later years in poor health.
Healthy life expectancy, the number of years a person can expect to live in good health, has fallen by around two years over the past decade, now sitting at just under 61 for both men and women. This decline places the UK among the worst-performing wealthy nations, with only the United States ranking lower. In contrast, most comparable countries have continued to see improvements in how long people live healthily.
The data also highlights stark and widening inequalities. In the most affluent areas, people can expect to enjoy around 20 more years of good health than those in the most deprived communities. For example, healthy life expectancy is close to 70 in parts of London, but drops to just over 50 in areas such as Blackpool and Hartlepool.
Perhaps most concerning is how this trend intersects with the state pension age. In more than 90% of areas across the UK, people’s health now begins to decline before they reach state pension age, currently 66 and rising to 67. In some areas, poor health starts as early as the mid-50s. This means that many individuals are expected to continue working for years after their health has already begun to deteriorate.
While overall life expectancy has remained broadly stable, the proportion of life spent in good health is shrinking. Increasingly, people are reaching retirement age already dealing with chronic conditions, disability, or poor mental health. Others are being forced out of the workforce early due to ill health, often with significant financial consequences.
This has profound implications not only for individuals, but for the wider economy. Rising levels of ill health are already contributing to record numbers of people unable to work, alongside increasing pressure on health and social care services. The evidence suggests that factors such as poverty, poor housing, obesity, and mental health challenges are all playing a role in driving this decline.
Against this backdrop, the case for further increases to the state pension age becomes increasingly difficult to justify. If people are spending fewer years in good health, then raising the age at which they can access their pension risks shortening, or even eliminating, the period of life they can spend in a healthy, secure retirement.
For many, retirement is no longer a meaningful phase of life enjoyed in good health, but a period increasingly overshadowed by illness and financial uncertainty. Continuing to push the state pension age higher would only deepen existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting those in poorer health and more deprived areas.
These findings should serve as a clear warning to policymakers. As healthy life expectancy declines, any future decisions about the state pension age must take into account not just how long people live, but how well they live. Without this, the promise of a fair and dignified retirement risks slipping further out of reach for millions.
“These findings reveal a stark truth – the UK’s health is going backwards”, said Dr Jennifer Dixon, the Health Foundation’s chief executive. “The lights on the dashboard are flashing red. We are the most obese country in western Europe, mental ill health has surged to unprecedented levels and more people than ever before are living with chronic health conditions.”
