19 Feb 2026 |

Healthy life expectancy figures in Yorkshire drop below 60

Figures from the ONS show people in Yorkshire only have 58.8 years of healthy life, compared to 61.5 years in all England.

Despite modest increases in life expectancy since 2019 to 2021, healthy life expectancy (HLE) in the UK, for both males and females, decreased to its lowest level since our time series began in 2011 to 2013.

In response to the ONS data release, Yorkshire Sport Foundation CEO Carl Hawkes said: “The latest figures are a clear warning. In Yorkshire, too many people are living longer in poor health, and the gap between our most and least advantaged communities remains far too wide.

"Treating the symptoms will not change the problem. Preventable ill health is driving pressure across our NHS and public services. If we’re serious about increasing healthy life expectancy, prevention must move from the margins to the mainstream.

"Physical activity is not a ‘nice to have’ it’s fundamental infrastructure for a healthier population. But solutions must be designed locally, shaped by communities and delivered in partnership with health, local government and the voluntary sector.

"Through Sport England’s place-based investment, Yorkshire Sport Foundation is focused on supporting those communities where the need is greatest, ensuring movement becomes a normal, accessible part of everyday life across our region.”

Commenting on the release, Greg Ceely, Head of Population Life Events, Office for National Statistics, said:“Today’s figures show that, while people in the UK are living longer than at the height of the pandemic, the proportion of their lives spent in good health is still getting smaller. Back in 2011, when the ONS first collected this data, men were expected to remain in good health until around the age of 63, and women 64. Today, they could both expect around 61 years of healthy life.”