Life expectancy among men and women in North Ayrshire is falling.
And the number of working age adults will go down in the next eight years, the Integration Joint Board confirmed in a report last Wednesday.
In the most recent reporting period (2020), female life expectancy was 80.1 years, compared to 80.8 in 2015), and male life expectancy was 75.3 years compared to the previous figure of 76.1.
For both females and males, life expectancy is lower when compared to the Scottish average.
However, healthy life expectancy for men in North Ayrshire has increased in recent years.
But, we see a decreasing trend for women. In the latest time-period available (2018-2020 three-year aggregate), the average healthy life expectancy in North Ayrshire was 58.5 years for men and 56.3 years for women in 2017-2019.
Currently, 27 per cent of local people are known to have some form of long-term condition.
It is recognised that the prevalence of people with a long-term condition increases by age.
For example, only 1.7 people in every 10 under the age of 65 have a long-term condition, whereas 8.2 people in every 10 over the age of 85 have a condition.
In 2019, men could expect to live 23 per cent of their life in ill health, compared to 30 per cent for women.
North Ayrshire is home to 134,250 people and covers an area of 340 square miles and includes the islands of Arran, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae.
By 2030, the local population is expected to fall to 129,987 with those 65 and over accounting for more 27 per cent of the local population.
Between 2022 and 2030, the percentage of the adult (18-64) population will fall from 57 per cent to 53 per cent.
By 2030, the local population of people 75 and over will grow by 16 per cent, to 16,905 (from 14,546 in 2022). In contrast, those aged 65 to 74, will increase by 11 per cent, to 19,207.
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2020, reports that 74 of North Ayrshire’s 186 datazone areas are ranked in the top 20 per cent for levels of deprivation.
As such, 41 per cent of North Ayrshire residents live in areas identified as amongst the most deprived in Scotland.
This equates to almost 56,000 people locally living in areas of relatively high deprivation.
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