Children born in some areas of Bristol have a predicted life expectancy that is six years longer than those born in others. Babies born in the BS2, BS3, BS5, BS11, BS13, and BS23 postcode areas will live to be 79 years old on average, according to new research by Health Equals.
That’s the lowest life expectancy of anywhere in our region, and is a calculated aggregate of both males and females. But in BS6, BS8, and BS41 the average life expectancy is 85, the highest in the region.
The above areas include:
Lowest life expectancy
- BS2 - Philips Marsh
- BS5 - Easton, St George, Whitehall, Speedwell, Greenbank, Redfield and Barton Hill
- BS11 - Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston
- BS13 - Bedminster Down, Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe, Withywood, Headley Park
- BS23 - Weston-super-Mare, Uphill
Highest life expectancy
- BS6 - Cotham, Redland, Montpelier, Westbury Park, St. Andrew's
- BS8 - Clifton, Failand, Hotwells, Leigh Woods
- BS41 Long Ashton, Dundry, Barrow Common, East Dundry, and North Wick
The data shows that postcode areas in northern and Scottish cities have far lower life expectancies than more affluent parts of the south and more rural northern regions. One neighbourhood in the Somerset market town of Bruton has an average life expectancy of 92 years, which is the highest in the country.
The group’s campaign #LivesCutShort, calls attention to regional disparities in life expectancy, highlighting what it says are millions of lives being 'needlessly' cut short in the UK because of where they live. Nationally, the largest gap is 18 years. To see how areas compare, using the below interactive map.
Babies born in the FY1 postcode area of Blackpool will live to be 73 years old on average. That’s compared to the London postcode area of SW7 - Kensington & Chelsea, which is home to Harrods - and EC3B in the City of London, where the average life expectancy is 91 years of age.
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Head of Health Equals Carrie Hume said: “The size of the UK’s life expectancy gap is entirely preventable, but not enough attention is paid to how our health is shaped by our interactions with the world around us. We’re calling on politicians to take action, doing more to understand what shapes our health, and creating plans to improve our opportunities for good health.”
