People in the United Kingdom have lower life expectancy than ever before when data about the health status indicator was collected, a new study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown.
The ONS report published on Wednesday said life expectancy had not improved between 2015 and 2017 across the UK, with England the least affected among the four nations as it saw its rate unchanged compared to the previous two-year period.
Sophie Sanders, ONS statistician for the Center of Ageing and Demography, said there were several reasons for the stalled life expectancy in the UK, including increased number of deaths that could be linked to issues like the seasonal flu.
“2015 to 2017 saw the lowest improvements in life expectancy since the start of our series in 1980 to 1982,” said Sanders, adding that males and females in Scotland and Wales, as well as males in Northern Ireland, saw a 0.1 year decline in life expectancy at birth.
The…