Premature death risk also varies according to employment and qualifications, shows analysis ‘laying bare the scale of inequalities’
People living in the most deprived areas of England are more than twice as likely to die prematurely than their more affluent counterparts, according to analysis.
The research, conducted by the Health Foundation, took demographic data from the 2021 census to look at differences in premature mortality rates – defined as any adult who died before their 75th birthday – alongside further data on deaths from March 2021 to December 2023.
Both men and women living in the most deprived areas were shown to have a risk of early death 2.3 times higher than their counterparts in the least deprived areas, according to the analysis, at a rate of 815 premature deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 353 premature deaths per 100,000 people.
Furthermore, women with no qualifications were found to have a premature mortality rate 2.5 times higher than those with a degree or higher, while men who are long-term unemployed or have never worked have a rate 3.5 times as high as those in higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations.
Regionally, such inequalities were highest in the north-east, north-west and Yorkshire and The Humber, and lowest in London.
