Mid and East Antrim residents '˜live longer than their neighbours'

Lifespans: For most people it is quality of life which counts most.

The statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), provide figures for life expectancy and healthy life expectancy across the UK.

The figures are particularly sobering for women in Antrim and Newtownabbey, which has the lowest healthy life expectancy (HLE) for females in the UK at just 51.4 years.

The ONS describes HLE as an “important indicator of the well-being of society,” as it details the amount of time spent in very good or good health, based on how individuals perceive their general health.

Women in Antrim and Newtownabbey also have one of the lowest life expectancies in Northern Ireland at 82 years, placing them ninth on a list of 12.

In contrast, women in the Mid and East Antrim area enjoy the fourth highest healthy life expectancy in Northern Ireland at 66.2 years, accompanied by the third highest life expectancy in the Province at 82.7 years.

Meanwhile, Men in the Antrim and Newtownabbey area fared better than their female counterparts, with their HLE of 60.3 years ranking seventh in Northern Ireland and their life expectancy of 78.6 ranking sixth in the Province.

Despite this, they were again bested by their neighbours in Mid and East Antrim, where men can look forward to a healthy life expectancy of 66 years, the second highest in Northern Ireland.

Mid and East Antrim men also have the sixth highest life expectancy in the Province, coming in at 78.5 years.

Commenting on the findings, ONS Senior Health Researcher Sarah Caul said: “Improvements to healthcare and living healthier lives mean that as a nation we are living longer and newborn boys and girls can expect to live for 79 and 83 years respectively. However while we are living longer we are spending a smaller proportion of our overall lives in good health which puts a greater challenge on health services.”

In a statement, the ONS added: “Females continue to have a higher number of years in good health than males, despite this males live a higher proportion of their lives in good health and disability-free.”

The highest life expectancy at birth for males in the UK is 83.4 years in Kensington and Chelsea, while the lowest is 73.4 years in Glasgow City. The highest for females is 86.7 years in Hart in England, while the lowest is 78.7 years in West Dunbartonshire.