Long-term monitoring of health inequalities: March 2022 report

Headline indicator of Health Inequalities

Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE)

In 2018-2020, male HLE at birth was 46.8 years for those living in the most deprived areas, 23.7 years lower than those living in the least deprived areas (70.4 years).

Female HLE at birth was 49.0 years for those living in the most deprived areas, 23.6 years lower than those living in the least deprived areas (72.6 years).

The relative index of inequalities has increased to its highest level for both males and females since the start of the time series, increasing from 0.38 to 0.44 for males and from 0.36 to 0.43 for females between 2013-2015 and 2018-2020.

The absolute gap in HLE has increased for males since the start of the time series, from 22.5 years in 2013-2015 to 23.7 years in 2018-2020.

The absolute gap in HLE for females, however, is slightly lower than at the start of the time series (23.6 years in 2018-2020 compared to 23.8 years in 2013-2015).

The latest HLE figures are calculated with data from 2018, 2019 and 2020, meaning the data includes the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we might expect to see some impact on the estimates. However, HLE estimates have large confidence intervals, making it difficult to compare year on year change and directly measure the impact of the pandemic. Additionally, annual population survey data used in the calculation of HLE only asks people to say whether they are in good or poor health and not what is causing poor health².

However, National Records of Scotland (NRS) have undertaken some analysis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy in Scotland. This information is available in the Life Expectancy in Scotland, 2018-2020 report³.

Trends in HLE

HLE at birth for males increased between 2013-2015 and 2015-2017 (from 61.8 years to 62.3 years) and has since fallen to its lowest level, 60.9 years in 2018-2020. Similarly for females, HLE increased between 2013-2015 and 2014-2016 (from 62.7 years to 63.3 years) before decreasing to its lowest level in 2018-2020 (61.8 years).

Inequalities in HLE, 2018-2020

HLE is lower for those living in the most deprived areas than for those living in the least deprived areas. In 2018-2020 males in the most deprived areas were, on average, expected to live 23.7 fewer years in good health than those in the least deprived areas (46.8 years vs 70.4 years). Females in the most deprived areas were, on average, expected to live 23.6 fewer years in good health than those in the least deprived areas (49.0 years vs 72.6 years).

Trends in relative inequalities

The relative index of inequalities (RII) has increased to its highest level for both males and females since the start of the time series, increasing from 0.38 to 0.44 for males and from 0.36 to 0.43 for females between 2013-2015 and 2018-2020.

Trends in absolute inequalities

The absolute gap in HLE has increased overall for males since the start of the time series, from 22.5 years in 2013-2015 to a high of 26.0 in 2017-2019 before falling to 23.7 in 2018-2020.

The absolute gap in HLE for females, however, has decreased since the start of the time series, from 23.8 years in 2013-2015 to 23.6 years in 2018-2020.