What is happening to life expectancy in England?

There have been two turning points in trends in life expectancy in England in the past decade. From 2011 increases in life expectancy slowed after decades of steady improvement, prompting much debate about the causes. Then in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic was a more significant turning point, causing a sharp fall in life expectancy the magnitude of which has not been seen since World War II.

This article examines trends in life expectancy at birth up to 2020 and the impact of Covid-19 in 2020, gender differences, geographical inequalities, causes of the changing trends since 2011, and how the UK’s life expectancy compares with other countries.

Read the Kings Fund article