There are notable gender disparities in life expectancy, with women in Solihull expected to outlive men in Castle Vale district by an average of 6.6 years, according to WTW.
According to WTW’s Postcode Mortality Model, the ten districts with the highest life expectancy are primarily in the South of England, East Anglia, and the West Midlands, with women potentially living 6.6 years longer than men.
Retirees in Broadstone, Poole expected to live an average of 88.2 years while the lowest life expectancy is found in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow, where retirees average 83.5 years.
Meanwhile, retirees in Solihull, Birmingham, are expected to live an average of 88.1 years, compared to just 84.3 years for those in nearby Castle Vale, marking a 3.8-year difference. In Central Hull, retirees average 83.7 years, while their neighbours in North Ferriby can expect to live to 87.4 years, a gap of 3.7 years.
But the study emphasises that lifestyle, wealth, and education are important determinants of longevity rather than geography alone.
WTW senior mortality consultant Stephen Caine says: “That there are big differences in life expectancy in different areas of the country comes as no great surprise. But these findings also highlight the fact that geography is itself not the key issue. More significant in determining life expectancy are the economic and lifestyle factors which can vary by as much in neighbouring areas as they can across the country.
“Those who have enjoyed well-paid jobs and a relatively comfortable and healthy life will on average live longer than those who have not. This is as true when looking at two suburbs of Birmingham as is it when the comparing Easterhouse in Glasgow to Sandbanks in Poole. When you also factor in that women tend to live longer than men, the average retirement for two people living only ten miles apart can be dramatically different.
“Postcode analysis of this kind, when used in tandem with other social and economic factors, is a powerful predictor of life expectancy and therefore a valuable tool for many areas of the financial services industry. For example, those running a defined benefit pension scheme can use our postcode mortality analysis in understanding the life expectancy of their own membership, and therefore will be better able to assess how much money needs to be put aside now to pay pensions in future.”
