RESEARCH AND INFORMATION
Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy
March (update) 2017
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 1
Research and Information
Briefing Paper March (update) 2017
Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy
This is one in a series of briefing papers that has been produced by the Research and Information
team. It is intended that these papers will be used by Council services and, where appropriate, our
Community Planning partners to assist policy development and wider service delivery. Some papers,
including this one, may be of interest to a wider audience.
This paper looks at Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy in Aberdeen City, up-dating the
Briefing Paper on the same topic published in January 2016. The main up-dates relate to Life
Expectancy at birth as figures for this are produced on an annual basis. However, figures on Healthy
Life Expectancy at local authority level rely on data collected in the Census and are therefore
produced on a much more infrequent basis. These figures have therefore not been up-dated at a
local authority area (although figures for Healthy Life Expectancy at Scotland level have been up-
dated).
The data in this paper comes primarily from National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Scottish
Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO). This paper presents a brief overview of the estimated Life
Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy at birth for males and females in Aberdeen City. It
compares Aberdeen City to other local authority areas and to Scotland. It also looks at how Life
Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy have changed over time as well as the relationship between
these and deprivation. The paper also looks at Life Expectancy at birth for intermediate zones in
Aberdeen City and gives information on Life Expectancy at age 65 years.
For more information on these issues, please contact:
Research and Information Team Office of Chief Executive Aberdeen City Council 1st Floor, Old Town House Broad Street Aberdeen AB10 1FY 01224 523322 [email protected] Other briefing papers in this series have included the following topics:
2014-Based Population Projections – Aberdeen City
Migration Report, Aberdeen City
Population Report, Aberdeen City and Shire
These papers, and other statistical reports, can be found in the ‘Stats and Facts’ section of the Aberdeen City Council website: www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/statsandfacts
We value your comments/feedback and would appreciate if you could provide your comments on this paper by clicking the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/research-feedback-form
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 2
Summary
Life expectancy at birth is higher for women than for men.
In Aberdeen City (2013-2015), life expectancy at birth for women was 80.9 years and for
men it was 76.6 years. These figures are slightly lower than Scottish averages of 81.1 years
for women and 77.1 years for men.
In Aberdeen City, life expectancy has increased for both men and women over the past 12
years. The increase has been higher for men (2.5 years) than for women (1.0 year).
However, rates of increase have been lower in Aberdeen City than for most other local
authority areas. As a result, Aberdeen’s position relative to other council areas has worsened
in the past 12 years – dropping from 17th to 24th in the rankings for males and from 11th to
20th for females.
Life expectancy is strongly associated with deprivation. In Aberdeen City, life expectancy at
birth was 71.4 years for men in the 15% most deprived areas of the city compared to 77.7
years for men in the 85% least deprived areas. For women, the respective figures were 77.9
years and 81.6 years.
There are substantial variations in life expectancy estimates in different areas of Aberdeen
City (based on Intermediate Zones). For males, life expectancy at birth ranges from a low of
68.2 years in Woodside to a high of 84.9 years in Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill & Seafield
– a difference of 16.7 years. For females it ranges from a low of 74.9 years in Woodside to a
high of 87.0 years in Balgownie and Donmouth East – a difference of 12.1 years.
Healthy life expectancy at birth is higher for women than for men.
In Aberdeen City, males born in the period 2009-2013 had a life expectancy at birth of 76.9
years and a healthy life expectancy of 65.0 years, giving an expected period of ‘not healthy’
health of 11.9 years. For women, the figures were 81.2 years and 67.4 years, giving an
expected period of ‘not healthy’ health of 13.8 years.
Compared to other local authority areas, healthy life expectancy in Aberdeen City ranks
slightly above mid-point – ranking 15th (out of 32) for males and 14th for females.
Lack of comparable data means that it is not possible to look at changes over time in healthy
life expectancy for local authority areas. Data for Scotland, however, shows that healthy life
expectancy has increased over time (1980-2008) for both males and females. The
corresponding increase in life expectancy, however, means that the percentage of life
expected to be in ‘healthy’ health has remained constant at around 90% for males and 88%
for females.
As with life expectancy, healthy life expectancy is strongly associated with deprivation. In
Scotland, for both males and females, healthy life expectancy decreased with increasing
deprivation, and length of time in ‘not healthy’ health increased with increasing deprivation.
Additionally, the gap between men and women also increased with increasing deprivation.
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 3
1. Life Expectancy
Life Expectancy (LE) at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a new-born baby
would survive if he/she experienced an area’s age specific mortality rates throughout his/her
life. It provides a useful summary measure of mortality rates experienced across a population
at a particular point in time. National Records of Scotland (NRS) produces life expectancy
estimates for Scottish council areas. The estimates are based on the mortality probabilities
indicated by the death records for the three years prior to the date of publication. The most
recent estimates were published on 29th November 2016 (based on 2013-2015).
1.1. Life Expectancy at Birth
In general, LE at birth is higher for women than for men. In Aberdeen City LE at birth is
estimated to be 80.9 years for women and 76.6 years for men, i.e. a baby girl born in
Aberdeen City in 2013-2015 could expect to live for 80.9 years while a baby boy born in
Aberdeen City in the same period could expect to live for 76.6 years. The estimated LE at birth
for both females and males in Aberdeen City is slightly below the corresponding estimates for
Scotland of 81.1 years and 77.1 years (see Table 1.1 below).
Table 1.1: Life expectancy at birth, males and females, Aberdeen City and Scotland, 2013-
2015
Male Female
Life
expectancy Lower
CI Upper
CI Life
expectancy Lower
CI Upper
CI
Years Years Years Years Years Years
Aberdeen City 76.6 76.1 77.0 80.9 80.5 81.4
Scotland 77.1 77.0 77.2 81.1 81.0 81.2
Source: National Records of Scotland, available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-
theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-figures
CI = confidence interval (95%)
Note: It should be remembered that life expectancy is an estimate – and as such is subject to
a margin of error. The accuracy of the results is indicated by calculating a 95% confidence
interval (CI) – the true underlying life expectancy lies within its upper and lower limits with
95% probability. So, looking at lower and upper CI limits for females in Aberdeen City, true life
expectancy for baby girls born in 2013-2015 lies between 80.5 years and 81.4 years.
Life expectancy estimates for different areas or different groups can be said to be significantly
different if their confidence intervals do not overlap. Therefore, looking at the above table,
as the upper and lower CI limits for male and female life expectancy do not overlap, it can be
said that female life expectancy is significantly higher than male life expectancy. Using the CIs
to compare Aberdeen City and Scotland, it can be seen that while estimated life expectancy is
lower in Aberdeen City than Scotland for both males and females, this difference is not
statistically significant (i.e. the confidence intervals do overlap).
It is also worth noting that life expectancy results, particularly in smaller areas, can be affected
by random variation in the annual number of deaths.
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 4
1.2. Comparison with other local authorities
Males: LE at birth ranged from a low of 73.4 years in Glasgow City to a high of 80.5 years in
East Dunbartonshire – a difference of 7.1 years. At 76.6 years, Aberdeen City has the 9th
lowest estimated LE at birth of all local authorities in Scotland.
Females: LE at birth ranged from a low of 78.7 years in West Dunbartonshire to a high of 83.5
years in East Dunbartonshire – a difference of 4.8 years. At 80.9 years, Aberdeen City has the
13th lowest estimated LE at birth of all local authorities in Scotland.
Figure 1.1 shows LE at birth for males and females for all of Scotland’s local authority areas,
highlighting the difference in LE at birth for males and females and also the differences
between council areas. Average LE estimates for Scotland are also included. The areas are
ordered by female LE at birth.
Figure 1.1: Life Expectancy at birth for males and females by local authority area, Scotland, 2013-2015.
Source: National Records Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-tables
A full table detailing estimated LE at birth and their 95% Confidence Intervals for each local
authority is given in Appendix 1.
1.3. Changes over time
Figure 1.2 shows LE at birth for males and females in Aberdeen City and Scotland over the
period from 2001-2003 to 2013-2015.
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
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Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 5
Figure 1.2: Life expectancy at birth for males and females, Aberdeen City and Scotland, 2001-2003 to 2013-2015
Source: National Records of Scotland, Life expectancy for administrative areas within Scotland, Time series data, available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-
areas/time-series-data
As can be seen from the above chart, life expectancy at birth has increased in all groups over
the 12-year period. For males, estimated life expectancy rose from 74.1 years to 76.6 years in
Aberdeen City (an increase of 3.3% over the period) and from 73.5 years to 77.1 years in
Scotland (an increase of 4.9%). For females the increase was less pronounced than for males,
with estimated life expectancy increasing from 80.0 years to 80.9 years in Aberdeen City (1.2%
increase) and from 78.8 years to 80.1 years in Scotland (2.9% increase). The lower rate of
increase for females compared to males has resulted in a slight closing of the gap between
male and female life expectancy at birth, from 5.9 years in 2001-2003 to 4.3 years in 2013-
2015 for Aberdeen City and from 5.3 years in 2001-2003 to 3.0 years in 2013-2015 for
Scotland as a whole.
For most of the 12-year period, both male and female life expectancy at birth has been slightly
higher in Aberdeen City than in Scotland. However, in contrast with the continuing upward
trend for Scotland as a whole, in Aberdeen City recent estimates for LE at birth have dropped
slightly – from 77.0 years in 2011-2013 to 76.6 years in 2013-2015 for males and from 81.2
years in 2011-2013 to 80.9 years in 2013-2015 for females. While this is a relatively small drop
(and not statistically significant), it does mean that current estimated LE is now slightly lower
in Aberdeen City than in Scotland for both males and females.
Local authorities: Life expectancy at birth increased for both males and females in all local
authorities in Scotland over the 12-year period from 2001-2003 to 2013-2015. In general the
increase was higher for males than females (the only exception being Midlothian where the
increase in life expectancy was higher in females than in males).
The rates of increase (i.e. the percentage change over the 12-year period) varied by local
authority. In Aberdeen City the rate of increase in life expectancy was lower than the average
increase for Scotland (3.3% compared to 4.9% for males and 1.2% compared to 2.9% for
females) and for both males and females the rates of increase were the lowest across all local
70.0
72.0
74.0
76.0
78.0
80.0
82.0
Ye
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Males - Aberdeen Females - Aberdeen Males - Scotland Females - Scotland
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 6
authorities in Scotland. As a result, Aberdeen City’s position relative to other council areas in
relation to estimated life expectancy has worsened in the last 12 years, dropping from 17th to
24th in the rankings for males and from 11th to 20th for females. Table 1.2 shows the estimated
LE at birth for Aberdeen City and selected local authorities (top and bottom ranking for males
and females) for 2001-2003 and for 2013-2015. The table also shows the actual change in
years as well as the percentage change. Full details of life expectancy at birth in Scotland by
local authority area and comparisons with 2001-2003 and 2012-2014 are given in Appendix 2a
(males) and Appendix 2b (females).
Table 1.2: Estimated life expectancy at birth for males and females, Aberdeen City and
comparator local authorities, 2001-2003 and 2013-2015
Council Area
Life Expectancy at Birth1
Change over 12 years
4 2001-2003 2013-2015
Years2
Rank3
Years2
Rank3 Years %
Males
East Dunbartonshire 77.1 1 80.5 1
3.4 4.4
Perth and Kinross 75.9 4 79.8 2
3.8 5.0
East Renfrewshire 75.9 3 79.3 3
3.3 4.4
Aberdeen City 74.1 17 76.6 24
2.4 3.3
Dundee City 71.9 27 75.1 30
3.2 4.4
West Dunbartonshire 70.8 30 74.8 31
4.0 5.6
Glasgow City 69.0 32 73.4 32
4.3 6.3
Scotland 73.5 - 77.1 -
3.6 4.9
Females
East Dunbartonshire 80.4 5 83.5 1
3.1 3.9
East Renfrewshire 81.1 1 83.4 2
2.4 2.9
Na h-Eileanan Siar 79.7 13 82.9 3
3.2 4.0
Aberdeen City 80.0 11 80.9 20
1.0 1.2
East Ayrshire 77.9 26 79.4 30
1.5 1.9
Glasgow City 76.4 32 78.8 31
2.5 3.2
West Dunbartonshire 77.4 30 78.7 32
1.3 1.7
Scotland 78.8 - 81.1 -
2.3 2.9
Source: National Records Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-tables 1The estimates are based on mortality probabilities indicated by the death records for the 3 years of the time period. 2The results may vary from year to year, particularly those based on small populations. 3Rank out of 32 local authority areas (high to low). 4Figures may not sum due to rounding.
1.4. Life Expectancy by level of deprivation
Life expectancy is strongly associated with level of deprivation. Using figures for the period
2011-2015, NRS have produced estimates of LE at birth by level of deprivation based on the
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2016. Data zones in Aberdeen City were
ordered by SIMD rank (from most to least deprived), with the top 15% then being assigned as
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 7
Aberdeen City’s 15% most deprived areas and the remaining 85% being assigned as Aberdeen
City’s 85% least deprived areas.
In Aberdeen City there was a significant difference in estimated life expectancy by level of
deprivation. Life expectancy for men in the 15% most deprived areas was 71.4 years
compared to 77.7 years for men in the 85% least deprived areas – a difference of 6.3 years.
For women, the difference in estimated life expectancy was less marked, at 77.9 years for
women in the 15% most deprived areas, and 81.6 years for women in the least deprived 85% -
a difference of 3.7 years. See Table 1.3.
Table 1.3: Estimated life expectancy at birth in Aberdeen City for males and females, 2011-
2015, by deprivation (SIMD 2016)
Life Expectancy at
birth
95% Confidence interval
Years Years
Males
Most deprived 15% 71.4 (70.4 to 72.3)
Least deprived 85% 77.7 (77.3 to 78.1)
Overall 76.6 (76.1 to 77.0)
Females
Most deprived 15% 77.9 (77.0 to 78.8)
Least deprived 85% 81.6 (81.2 to 82.0)
Overall 80.9 (80.5 to 81.4)
Source: National Records of Scotland, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/life-expectancy-in-scottish-council-areas-split-by-deprivation/2011-15
1.5. Life Expectancy at birth by intermediate zone 2009-2013
Estimates of life expectancy by intermediate zone (2006-base) are available on ScotPHO. The
most recent figures relate to data from 2009-2013 (5-year average).
For both males and females there are important differences in estimated life expectancy at
birth depending on where you live in Aberdeen City. For males, estimated LE at birth ranges
from a low of 68.2 years in Woodside to a high of 84.9 years in Braeside, Mannofield,
Broomhill & Seafield – a difference of 16.7 years. For females it ranges from a low of 74.9
years in Woodside to a high of 87.0 years in Balgownie and Donmouth East – a difference of
12.1 years.
Figure 1.3 shows estimated LE at birth by intermediate zones for males and females (ordered
by female LE). Consistent with the pattern in Aberdeen City as a whole, in almost all
intermediate zones, estimated LE at birth is higher for females than males – the only
exception being West End North where LE is 82.7 years for both males and females.
However, the difference in male and female estimated life expectancy varies quite markedly
between intermediate zones, ranging from no difference in West End North to a difference of
9.8 years in City Centre. As a result, the ranking of intermediate zones (i.e. from low to high
estimated LE) differs for males and females. Full details of estimated life expectancy,
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 8
including 95% Confidence Intervals, for all intermediate zones in Aberdeen City are given in
Appendix 3.
Figure 1.3: Estimated life expectancy at birth for males and females, intermediate zones, Aberdeen City, 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO Health and Wellbeing Profiles, https://scotpho.nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk/scotpho/spineChartAction.do#
Although we know that overall estimated LE at birth in Aberdeen City has risen in the last 12
years, it is not clear how this has translated into the different areas of the city, e.g. whether
the gap between intermediate zones has remained relatively static, or whether it has
increased or decreased over this period. While it is not possible to undertake a direct
comparison due to differences in how life expectancy is calculated in intermediate zones (5-
year average) and local authority areas (3-year average), it is possible to compare the most
recent intermediate zone data (2009-2013) with intermediate zone data from 2003-2007.
Comparison of data between these periods suggests that the increase seen in the city as a
whole is not consistent across all areas. For example, estimated life expectancy has increased
more in some intermediate zones than others. In other intermediate zones life expectancy
has actually decreased in the period. There are also gender differences in the patterning of
the changes (e.g. increase for males but decrease for females or vice versa). The outcome of
this inconsistency is that between 2003-2007 and 2009-2013 the gap between ‘highest’ and
‘lowest’ intermediate zones has increased for both males and females – from 13.7 years to
16.7 years for males and from 10 years to 12.1 years for females. Full details of these figures
are presented in Appendix 4, however, to illustrate the variability of changes in estimated life
expectancy across different areas of the city, Figure 1.4 shows the difference in life expectancy
estimates between 2003-2007 and 2009-2013 for males and females for intermediate zones in
Aberdeen City (with the exception of Cove South, Oldmachar East and Denmore due to lack of
data for 2003-2007).
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Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 9
Figure 1.4: Difference in life expectancy estimates for males and females, intermediate
zones, Aberdeen City, comparison of data from 2003-2007 and 2009-2013
Source: Data for 2009-2013 from ScotPHO health and wellbeing profile, available at:
https://scotpho.nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk/scotpho/profileSelectAction.do
Data for 2003-2007 from National Records of Scotland, Life Expectancy in Intermediate Zones 2003-2007, available at:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-
areas/archive/life-expectancy-in-internediate-zones/2003-2007
1.6. Estimated life expectancy at age 65 years, 2013-2015
NRS also produce estimates of life expectancy for 65 year olds (i.e. how long a person aged 65
years could expect to live). Estimated life expectancy for 65 year-old men in Aberdeen City is
16.9 years, slightly lower than the average for Scotland of 17.3 years. Estimated life
expectancy for 65 year-old women in Aberdeen City is 19.6 years – 2.7 years higher than the
figure for men, but again slightly lower than the average for Scotland of 19.7 years.
Comparison with local authorities: Estimated life expectancy at 65 years ranges from a low of
15.2 years for Glasgow City to a high of 19.3 years in East Dunbartonshire for males, and from
18.2 years in Glasgow City to 21.3 years in East Renfrewshire for women. As with estimates
for life expectancy at birth, Aberdeen City ranks lower than most local authorities in Scotland
– ranking 26th (out of 32) for males and 20th (out of 32) for females. Figure 1.5 shows
estimated life expectancy at 65 years for all local authorities in Scotland for men and women
(ordered by female life expectancy). Appendix 5 gives figures for all local authorities.
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Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 10
Figure 1.5: Life expectancy at age 65 years by local authority area, Scotland, 2013-2015
Source: National Records Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-tables
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Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 11
2. Healthy Life Expectancy
While Life Expectancy (LE) counts total years of expected life regardless of level of health,
Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) represents the number of years that an individual can expect to
live in good health. HLE is calculated by combining Life Expectancy and a measure of ‘healthy
health’, such as self-assessed general health (using survey or census data). HLE provides a
single summary measure of a population’s health which takes account of the population’s
health status and death rates at different ages. It can be used to look at health trends over
time and may be helpful in resource allocation as well as planning of health and other
services.
Information on HLE is available from the Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO). While
HLE at a national level is published yearly using self-assessed health measures from household
surveys (the Scottish Household Survey from 2009), these surveys are not robust enough to
provide HLE estimates at smaller levels. Information on HLE at local authority level uses self-
assessed health from the Census and is therefore available on a much less frequent basis. In
December 2015 ScotPHO published HLE estimates at local authority level using self-assessed
health from the 2011 Census. These are for the 5-year period 2009-2013 and are calculated
separately for males and females. (Note: HLE is generally presented in relation to LE. The LE
estimates given below cover a different time period to those in the previous section and
therefore will not match exactly).
2.1. Healthy Life Expectancy at birth
Table 2.1 gives Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy for Aberdeen City and Scotland.
For the period 2009-2013, males in Aberdeen City had a LE at birth of 76.9 years and a HLE of
65.0 years, giving an expected period of ‘not healthy’ health of 11.9 years. For women in
Aberdeen City, life expectancy at birth was 81.2 years and healthy life expectancy was 67.4
years, giving an expected period of ‘not healthy’ health of 13.8 years. So while women have a
higher life expectancy, they also experience a longer time in ‘not healthy’ health than men.
This pattern is consistent with Scotland as a whole – although both LE and HLE are slightly
higher in Aberdeen City than in Scotland for both males and females. In Scotland men have an
expected period of ‘not healthy’ health of 13.5 years. For women the figure is 15.6 years.
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 12
Table 2.1: Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth in years, males and females,
Aberdeen City and Scotland, 5-year period 2009-2013
Life Expectancy at birth Healthy Life Expectancy at
birth Expected period in 'not healthy' health
(years) Years 95%
Confidence Intervals
Years 95%
Confidence Intervals
Aberdeen City
Male 76.9 76.5 to 77.2 65.0 64.8 to 65.1 11.9
Female 81.2 80.9 to 81.6 67.4 67.3 to 67.6 13.8
Scotland
Male 76.6 76.5 to 76.7 63.1 63.1 to 63.2 13.5
Female 80.8 80.8 to 80.9 65.3 65.2 to 65.3 15.6
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/local-authorities
2.2. Comparison with other local authorities
Males: LE and HLE levels vary considerably across local authority areas. LE at birth is highest
in East Dunbartonshire (80.3 years) and lowest in Glasgow City (72.6 years). Similarly, HLE at
birth ranges from a low of 55.9 years in Glasgow City to a high of 68.3 years in East
Dunbartonshire. This means that a baby boy born in Glasgow during 2009-2013 would be
expected to live in a healthy state for 12.4 years less than a baby boy born during the same
period in East Dunbartonshire.
The local authority area with the shortest expected period of ‘not healthy’ health for men is
Aberdeenshire at 10.8 years, with men in Glasgow expected to experience the longest period
of ‘not healthy’ health at 16.7 years.
Figure 2.1 below shows LE and HLE at birth by local authority area for males. As can be seen
from the chart, there is greater variation across local authority areas by HLE than LE. Looking
only at HLE, Aberdeen City ranks slightly above the mid-point (15th highest) when compared to
other local authority areas. Aberdeenshire, along with Perth and Kinross and the Orkney
Islands, ranks second highest (68.1 years).
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 13
Figure 2.1: Life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth for males by local authority area, Scotland, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/local-authorities
Females: The pattern for females was similar to that for males, although estimates of LE and
HLE were consistently higher for women than for men in each of the local authority areas. LE
at birth ranged from a low of 78.4 years in Glasgow City to a high of 83.4 years in East
Dunbartonshire. Glasgow City was also the local authority area with the lowest HLE at birth at
58.5 years. However, the highest HLE for women was in the Orkney Islands at 71.0 years. This
means that a baby girl born in Glasgow during 2009-2013 would be expected to live in a
healthy state for 12.5 years less than a baby girl born in Orkney.
Orkney was the local authority with the shortest expected period in ‘not healthy’ health at
11.0 years, while women in Glasgow City had the longest expected period in ‘not healthy’
health at 20.0 years.
Figure 2.2 shows LE and HLE at birth by local authority area for females. Again there seems to
be slightly more variation in HLE than LE. Looking only at HLE, ranking for females in
Aberdeen City is similar to males - positioned slightly above the mid-point (14th highest) when
compared to other local authority areas. Aberdeenshire ranked third highest (69.7 years)
among all local authority areas.
40
50
60
70
80
90A
ber
dee
n C
ity
Ab
erd
een
shir
e
An
gus
Arg
yll &
Bu
te
Sco
ttis
h B
ord
ers
Cla
ckm
ann
ansh
ire
Wes
t D
un
bar
ton
shir
e
Du
mfr
ies
& G
allo
way
Du
nd
ee C
ity
East
Ayr
shir
e
East
Du
nb
arto
nsh
ire
East
Lo
thia
n
East
Ren
frew
shir
e
Edin
bu
rgh
Cit
y
Falk
irk
Fife
Gla
sgo
w C
ity
Hig
hla
nd
Inve
rcly
de
Mid
loth
ian
Mo
ray
No
rth
Ayr
shir
e
No
rth
Lan
arks
hir
e
Ork
ney
Isla
nd
s
Pe
rth
& K
inro
ss
Ren
frew
shir
e
Shet
lan
d Is
lan
ds
Sou
th A
yrsh
ire
Sou
th L
anar
ksh
ire
Stir
ling
Eile
an S
iar
Wes
t Lo
thia
n
SCO
TLA
ND
LE o
r H
LE (
year
s)
local authority
LE (95% confidence intervals shown as error bars)HLE (95% confidence intervals shown as error bars)
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 14
Figure 2.2: Life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth for females by local authority area, Scotland, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/local-authorities
2.3. Changes over time
Unfortunately it is not possible to look at HLE changes over time at a local authority level. Due
to a change in the question for self-assessed health in the Census, HLE estimates using 2011
Census data are not comparable to HLE estimates using data from the 2001 Census. It is,
however, possible to look at changes over time in Scotland (on a yearly basis from 1980-2015),
allowing us to see broader patterns for LE and HLE. A change to the self-assessed health
question in the Scottish Household Survey in 2009 means that HLE estimates from 2009
onwards cannot be directly compared to those in previous years. Figures 2.3 and 2.4 show LE
and HLE for males and females respectively, from 1980 to 2015. (Note: from 2014, LE and HLE
were calculated using an upper age limit of 90+ (previous years' estimates were calculated
using an upper age limit of 85+), and corrected mid-year population estimates (MYE) for 2014.
Therefore, any difference could be due to a combination of the MYE correction and the life
expectancy method change.)
40
50
60
70
80
90A
ber
dee
n C
ity
Ab
erd
een
shir
e
An
gus
Arg
yll &
Bu
te
Sco
ttis
h B
ord
ers
Cla
ckm
ann
ansh
ire
Wes
t D
un
bar
ton
shir
e
Du
mfr
ies
& G
allo
way
Du
nd
ee C
ity
East
Ayr
shir
e
East
Du
nb
arto
nsh
ire
East
Lo
thia
n
East
Ren
frew
shir
e
Edin
bu
rgh
Cit
y
Falk
irk
Fife
Gla
sgo
w C
ity
Hig
hla
nd
Inve
rcly
de
Mid
loth
ian
Mo
ray
No
rth
Ayr
shir
e
No
rth
Lan
arks
hir
e
Ork
ney
Isla
nd
s
Pe
rth
& K
inro
ss
Ren
frew
shir
e
Shet
lan
d Is
lan
ds
Sou
th A
yrsh
ire
Sou
th L
anar
ksh
ire
Stir
ling
Eile
an S
iar
Wes
t Lo
thia
n
SCO
TLA
ND
LE o
r H
LE (
year
s)
local authority
LE (95% confidence intervals shown as error bars)HLE (95% confidence intervals shown as error bars)
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 15
Figure 2.3: Life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth, Scotland: males 1-year periods 1980 to 2015, and 5-year periods 1999-2003 and 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/scotland
Figure 2.4: Life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth, Scotland: females 1-year periods 1980 to 2015, and 5-year periods 1999-2003 and 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/scotland
Life Expectancy at birth, males and females: As can be seen in the above charts, estimates of
LE at birth have increased for both males and females since 1980. Male LE at birth increased
from 68.7 years in 1980 to 76.9 years in 2015 – an increase of 8.2 years over the period (see
Figure 2.3). Female LE at birth increased from 75.1 years in 1980 to 81.0 years in 2014 – an
increase of 5.9 years (see Figure 2.4). Although LE estimates have increased more for men
than for women, LE has consistently been higher for women than for men. However, the gap
between them has lessened over the period - from 6.4 years in 1980 to 4.1 years in 2014.
Healthy Life Expectancy, males (Figure 2.3): while there were fluctuations in the period from
1980 to 2008, overall the trend for HLE was upwards, increasing from 62.6 years in 1980 to
68.1 years in 2008 – an increase of 5.5 years. However, as can be seen in Figure 2.3, the gap
between LE and HLE widened during this period – indicating that an average man would be
expected to experience a longer period of ‘not healthy’ health (7.3 years) if born in 2008, than
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
19
80
19
81
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82
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83
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84
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85
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86
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87
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88
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90
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91
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00
20
01
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02
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05
20
06
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
20
13
20
14
20
15
LE
or
HL
E (
years
)
Year
LE (1-year period)
LE (5-year period 1999-2003/2009-2013)
HLE (1-year period, using survey SAH). New methodology from 2009.
HLE (5-year period 1999-2003/2009-2013, using Census SAH)
95% confidence interval
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
LE o
r H
LE (
year
s)
Year
LE (1-year period)LE (5-year period 1999-2003/2009-2013)HLE (1-year period, using survey SAH). New methodology from 2009.HLE (5-year period 1999-2003/2009-2013, using Census SAH)95% confidence interval
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 16
a man born in 1980 (6.2 years). However, as LE was also increasing, the percentage of life
expected to be in ‘healthy’ health remained fairly consistent (at around 90%) over the period.
Following the change to the self-assessed health question in 2009, HLE for males was
estimated to be 60.0 years in 2009. There is no significant difference in HLE at birth for males
born in 2009 and those born in 2015 (59.9 years). The gap between LE and HLE increased
slightly in this period from 15.9 years to 17.1 years, however, the percentage of life expected
to be spent in healthy health decreased slightly from 79.0% in 2009 to 77.8% in 2015 (i.e.
males could expect to live a slightly larger proportion of their lives in ‘not healthy health’).
Figure 2.3 also includes the HLE at birth estimate for the 5-year period 2009-2013 (based on
self-assessed health from the 2011 Census). At 63.1 years, this is higher than the single year
estimate (60.4 years) for 2011 (based on survey data). Given its much larger sample size the
HLE estimate based on Census data is likely to be more accurate than the single-year estimate
based on survey data.
Healthy Life Expectancy, females (Figure 2.4): as with males, although variable, the overall
trend for HLE at birth for females was upwards – increasing from 65.9 years in 1980 to 70.8
years in 2008 – an increase of 4.9 years in the period. Unlike men, however, the gap between
LE and HLE for women remained fairly constant at around 9 years (9.1 years in 1980 and 9.2
years in 2008) for the duration of the period, with the percentage of life expected to be in
‘healthy’ health also fairly constant at around 88%. Following the change to the self-assessed
health question in 2009, HLE for females was estimated to be 62.2 years in 2009. There is no
significant difference in HLE at birth for females born in 2009 and those born in 2015 (62.3
years). The gap between LE and HLE has been fairly consistent in this period (at around
18.7%) as has the percent of life expected to be in healthy health at 76.9%.
The HLE at birth estimate for the 5-year period 2009-2013 was 65.3 years. Again, this Census-
based figure is higher than the single-year estimate for 2011 which was 62.0 years, and is
likely to be the more accurate of the two HLE estimates.
2.4. Deprivation
Estimates of LE and HLE at birth by deprivation (SIMD quintiles) are available for Scotland for
the 5-year period 2009-2013 (based on self-assessed health from 2011 Census).
Males: as could be expected, LE expectancy at birth decreased steadily from least deprived
(81.4 years) to most deprived (71.1 years) quintiles – a difference of 10.3 years. There was a
similar pattern for HLE at birth. However, the difference between least (71.5 years) and most
(53.4 years) deprived quintiles was much greater at 18.1 years. The expected period of ‘not
healthy’ health increased with increasing deprivation, ranging from 9.9 years in the least
deprived quintile to 17.7 years in the most deprived quintile. Figure 2.5 shows LE and HLE at
birth by deprivation quintile for Scotland for the 5-year period 2009-2013.
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 17
Figure 2.5: Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy at birth by deprivation quintile in Scotland, males, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/deprivation-
quintiles
Females: as with males, LE at birth decreased steadily from the least to most deprived
quintiles. In 2009-2013, LE at birth was 84.1 years for a woman in the least deprived quintile,
compared to 77.1 years for a woman in the most deprived quintile – a difference of 7 years.
HLE also decreased with increasing deprivation (Figure 2.6). Women in the least deprived
quintile had a HLE of 72.9 years compared to 56.1 years for a woman in the most deprived
quintile – a difference of 16.8 years. The length of time a woman could expect to spend in
‘not healthy’ health ranged from 11.3 years for a woman in the least deprived quintile to 21.0
years in the most deprived quintile. Another way of saying this is that a woman in the least
deprived quintile could expect to live 86.7% of her life in ‘healthy’ health compared to a
woman in the most deprived quintile who could expect to live 72.8% in ‘healthy’ health.
Figure 2.6: Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy at birth by deprivation quintile in Scotland, females, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/deprivation-
quintiles
Males and Females: overall, there was a similar pattern for men and women. For both, LE at
birth and HLE at birth decreased with increasing deprivation, and expected length of time in
‘unhealthy’ health increased with increasing deprivation.
0
20
40
60
80
100
SIMD 5 (leastdeprived)
SIMD 4 SIMD 3 SIMD 2 SIMD 1 (mostdeprived)
LE o
r H
LE (
Ye
ars)
LE HLE
0102030405060708090
SIMD 5 (leastdeprived)
SIMD 4 SIMD 3 SIMD 2 SIMD 1 (mostdeprived)
LE o
r H
LE (
Ye
ars)
LE HLE
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 18
Similarly, and consistent with overall patterning for LE at birth and HLE at birth, in all deprivation
quintiles, LE and HLE estimates were higher in women than in men. Interestingly, however, the
gap between men and women also increased with increasing deprivation. The gap in LE at birth
between men and women increased from 2.7 years in the least deprived quintile, to 6.0 years in
the most deprived quintile (Figure 2.7). For HLE at birth (Figure 2.8) the gap between males and
females is smaller, however, there was still a doubling between least and most deprived
quintiles with the gap going from 1.4 years to 2.8 years.
Figure 2.7: Life Expectancy at birth by deprivation quintile, males and females, Scotland, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/deprivation-quintiles
Figure 2.8: Healthy Life Expectancy at birth by deprivation quintile, males and females, Scotland, 5-year period 2009-2013
Source: ScotPHO, Available at: http://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-dynamics/healthy-life-expectancy/data/deprivation-quintiles
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
SIMD 5 (leastdeprived)
SIMD 4 SIMD 3 SIMD 2 SIMD 1 (mostdeprived)
LE (
year
s)
LE Male LE Female
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
SIMD 5 (leastdeprived)
SIMD 4 SIMD 3 SIMD 2 SIMD 1 (mostdeprived)
HLE
(ye
ars)
HLE Male HLE Female
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 19
3. Summary and conclusion
Overall, estimates of LE and HLE in Aberdeen City are broadly in line with the average figures
for Scotland as a whole, with LE at birth slightly below Scottish averages and HLE being slightly
higher than average.
In Scotland (as in Western Europe), women generally outlive men by several years. In
Aberdeen City estimated LE for a baby boy born in 2013-2015 was 76.6 years and for a baby
girl it was 80.9 years. Although estimated LE at birth has increased for both males and females
over the past 12 years, this increase has been higher in males, with the result that the gap in
LE at birth between males and females has narrowed. Again this is consistent with Scotland as
a whole. An issue of note, however, is the fact that the rate of growth in LE over the past 12
years has been lower in Aberdeen City than in all other local authority areas. This has resulted
in Aberdeen City falling in the local authority ‘rankings’ in relation to estimated LE at birth for
both men and women.
Women also have a higher HLE than men. In Aberdeen City, HLE at birth for a baby boy born
in 2009-2013 was 65.0 years and for a baby girl born in the same period it was 67.4 years.
However, while females have a higher HLE than males, they also have a longer period of ‘not
healthy’ health than men. On average, a man in Aberdeen City can expect a period of nearly
12 years of ‘not healthy’ health, while a woman can expect a period of almost 14 years of ‘not
healthy’ health.
However, the strong association between both LE and HLE and deprivation means that it is
likely that both LE and HLE will differ substantially for men and women living in different parts
of Aberdeen City. Those living in more deprived areas are likely to have not only a lower LE at
birth, but also a longer period of ‘not healthy’ health than those living in the less deprived
areas. If consistent with Scottish rates, men and women in the most deprived areas of the city
could expect to live approximately a quarter of their lives in ‘not healthy’ health – double the
period of those in the least deprived areas of the city.
Time spent in ‘not healthy’ health will tend to occur towards the end of life, although some
people will experience ‘not healthy’ health in earlier years. While it is important to improve LE
at birth, increasing HLE and reducing the time spent in ‘not healthy’ health is also important –
not only for individual health, but also in terms of use of healthcare and other resources.
Understanding patterns of LE and HLE can be useful in planning resource allocation for health
and other services.
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 20
Appendix 1: Estimated life expectancy at birth for males and females by local authority area,
Scotland, 2013-2015
Males Females
Life
expectancy Lower CI Upper CI
Life expectancy
Lower CI Upper CI
Years Years Years Years Years Years
Aberdeen City Council 76.6 76.1 77.0 80.9 80.5 81.4
Aberdeenshire Council 79.2 78.7 79.6 82.2 81.9 82.6
Angus Council 78.6 77.9 79.2 81.9 81.3 82.5
Argyll and Bute Council 78.2 77.5 78.9 82.2 81.6 82.9
City of Edinburgh Council 78.0 77.6 78.3 82.2 81.9 82.5
Clackmannanshire 76.9 76.0 77.9 80.1 79.2 81.0
Dumfries and Galloway Council 78.1 77.6 78.7 81.3 80.8 81.9
Dundee City Council 75.1 74.5 75.7 80.1 79.5 80.6
East Ayrshire Council 76.1 75.4 76.8 79.4 78.8 80.0
East Dunbartonshire Council 80.5 79.8 81.1 83.5 83.0 84.1
East Lothian Council 78.4 77.8 79.1 82.5 81.9 83.1
East Renfrewshire Council 79.3 78.5 80.0 83.4 82.8 84.1
Falkirk Council 77.4 76.9 78.0 80.9 80.4 81.4
Fife Council 77.7 77.3 78.0 81.5 81.1 81.8
Glasgow City Council 73.4 73.1 73.6 78.8 78.6 79.1
Highland Council 77.9 77.4 78.3 82.6 82.2 83.0
Inverclyde Council 75.4 74.7 76.2 80.4 79.7 81.1
Midlothian Council 77.3 76.6 78.1 81.5 80.8 82.1
Moray Council 78.7 78.1 79.4 81.7 81.0 82.4
Na h-Eileanan Siar Council 76.7 75.4 78.1 82.9 81.8 84.0
North Ayrshire Council 76.1 75.5 76.7 80.8 80.3 81.3
North Lanarkshire Council 75.3 75.0 75.7 79.6 79.2 79.9
Orkney Islands Council 78.8 77.3 80.3 82.8 81.4 84.3
Perth and Kinross Council 79.8 79.2 80.3 82.6 82.1 83.2
Renfrewshire Council 76.3 75.8 76.8 80.6 80.1 81.1
Scottish Borders Council 78.8 78.2 79.4 82.5 82.0 83.1
Shetland Islands Council 77.6 76.3 79.0 81.9 80.6 83.2
South Ayrshire Council 77.7 77.1 78.4 81.0 80.4 81.6
South Lanarkshire Council 77.0 76.6 77.4 80.8 80.5 81.1
Stirling Council 78.5 77.9 79.2 82.0 81.4 82.6
West Dunbartonshire Council 74.8 74.0 75.5 78.7 78.0 79.4
West Lothian Council 78.2 77.7 78.7 80.8 80.3 81.3
Scotland 77.1 77.0 77.2 81.1 81.0 81.2
Source: National Records Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-tables
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 21
Appendix 2a: Male life expectancy at birth in Scotland by local authority area and comparisons
with 2001-2003 and 2012-2014
2013-2015
2012-2014
2001-2003
2013-2015
2012-2014
2001-2003
Change over 1 year
Change over 12 years
Change over 1 year
Change over 12 years
Years1 Years
1 Years
1 Rank Rank Rank (Years)
2 (Years) (%)
2 (%)
Aberdeen City 76.6 76.7 74.1 24 23 17 -0.2 2.4 -0.2 3.3
Midlothian 77.3 77.3 74.7 20 19 13 0.0 2.7 0.0 3.6
East Lothian 78.4 78.4 75.6 10 9 6 0.0 2.8 0.0 3.7
Orkney Islands 78.8 78.7 75.9 6 6 5 0.1 2.9 0.2 3.8
Stirling 78.5 78.3 75.5 9 10 7 0.2 3.0 0.3 4.0
Aberdeenshire 79.2 79.3 76.1 4 4 2 -0.2 3.1 -0.2 4.0
South Lanarkshire 77.0 76.6 74.0 21 24 19 0.4 3.0 0.5 4.0
Fife 77.7 77.6 74.5 17 18 14 0.1 3.1 0.1 4.2
City of Edinburgh 78.0 77.8 74.8 14 16 11 0.2 3.2 0.2 4.3
Angus 78.6 78.6 75.3 8 7 9 0.0 3.3 0.0 4.3
East Dunbartonshire 80.5 80.5 77.1 1 1 1 0.0 3.4 0.0 4.4
East Renfrewshire 79.3 79.7 75.9 3 2 3 -0.4 3.3 -0.5 4.4
Dundee City 75.1 75.3 71.9 30 30 27 -0.1 3.2 -0.2 4.4
Dumfries and Galloway 78.1 78.0 74.8 13 14 10 0.2 3.3 0.2 4.5
Scottish Borders 78.8 79.2 75.4 5 5 8 -0.4 3.4 -0.5 4.5
Clackmannanshire 76.9 77.1 73.5 22 21 21 -0.2 3.4 -0.3 4.6
Argyll and Bute 78.2 78.2 74.8 11 11 12 0.0 3.5 0.0 4.6
Highland 77.9 78.2 74.4 15 12 15 -0.4 3.5 -0.5 4.6
North Lanarkshire 75.3 75.4 71.9 29 29 26 0.0 3.4 0.0 4.7
North Ayrshire 76.1 76.4 72.7 26 25 24 -0.3 3.5 -0.4 4.8
East Ayrshire 76.1 75.8 72.5 27 27 25 0.3 3.6 0.4 4.9
Falkirk 77.4 77.2 73.7 19 20 20 0.2 3.7 0.3 5.0
Perth and Kinross 79.8 79.4 75.9 2 3 4 0.4 3.8 0.5 5.0
South Ayrshire 77.7 78.2 74.0 16 13 18 -0.4 3.7 -0.5 5.1
Shetland Islands 77.6 77.8 73.5 18 15 22 -0.2 4.1 -0.3 5.6
West Dunbartonshire 74.8 74.6 70.8 31 31 30 0.1 4.0 0.2 5.6
Renfrewshire 76.3 75.8 71.9 25 26 28 0.5 4.4 0.6 6.1
Moray 78.7 78.5 74.2 7 8 16 0.2 4.5 0.3 6.1
Glasgow City 73.4 73.3 69.0 32 32 32 0.0 4.3 0.0 6.3
West Lothian 78.2 77.8 73.5 12 17 23 0.4 4.7 0.5 6.4
Na h-Eileanan Siar 76.7 76.9 71.8 23 22 29 -0.1 5.0 -0.2 6.9
Inverclyde 75.4 75.5 70.2 28 28 31 0.0 5.3 0.0 7.5
Scotland 77.1 77.1 73.5 - - - 0.0 3.6 0.0 4.9
Source: National Records of Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, available at:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-
2015/list-of-tables
1. The results may vary from year to year, particularly those based on small populations
2. Life expectancy has gone down for several councils in the past year. However the confidence intervals for 2012-14 and 2013-15 overlap
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 22
Appendix 2b: Female life expectancy at birth in Scotland by local authority area and comparisons
with 2001-2003 and 2012-2014
2013-2015
2012-2014
2001-2003
2013-2015
2012-2014
2001-2003
Change over 1 year
Change over 12 years
Change over 1 year
Change over 12 years
Years1 Years
1 Years
1 Rank Rank Rank (Years)
2 (Years) (%)
2 (%)
Aberdeen City 80.9 81.0 80.0 20 19 11 -0.1 1.0 -0.1 1.2
Shetland Islands 81.9 82.4 80.7 14 7 4 -0.5 1.2 -0.6 1.5
West Dunbartonshire 78.7 78.6 77.4 32 32 30 0.1 1.3 0.2 1.7
Aberdeenshire 82.2 82.2 80.7 9 8 3 0.1 1.5 0.1 1.9
East Ayrshire 79.4 79.6 77.9 30 29 26 -0.2 1.5 -0.3 1.9
Clackmannanshire 80.1 80.2 78.6 27 27 21 -0.1 1.5 -0.1 1.9
Moray 81.7 81.7 80.1 15 15 6 0.0 1.6 0.0 1.9
Dumfries and Galloway 81.3 81.4 79.6 18 17 14 -0.1 1.7 -0.1 2.1
Orkney Islands 82.8 82.9 81.0 4 2 2 -0.1 1.8 -0.1 2.2
South Ayrshire 81.0 80.9 79.2 19 22 19 0.1 1.8 0.1 2.3
Angus 81.9 81.7 80.0 13 14 10 0.2 1.9 0.2 2.4
Fife 81.5 81.4 79.3 17 18 17 0.1 2.1 0.1 2.7
City of Edinburgh 82.2 82.1 80.0 11 10 8 0.1 2.1 0.1 2.7
South Lanarkshire 80.8 80.8 78.6 22 23 23 0.0 2.3 0.0 2.9
North Lanarkshire 79.6 79.6 77.3 29 30 31 0.0 2.3 0.0 2.9
East Renfrewshire 83.4 82.7 81.1 2 5 1 0.8 2.4 0.9 2.9
Falkirk 80.9 81.0 78.6 21 21 22 -0.1 2.3 -0.1 2.9
East Lothian 82.5 82.1 80.1 8 11 7 0.4 2.4 0.5 3.0
North Ayrshire 80.8 81.0 78.4 24 20 24 -0.2 2.3 -0.2 3.0
Dundee City 80.1 80.1 77.7 28 28 28 0.0 2.4 0.0 3.0
Glasgow City 78.8 78.7 76.4 31 31 32 0.1 2.5 0.2 3.2
Renfrewshire 80.6 80.6 78.1 25 25 25 0.0 2.5 0.0 3.2
Argyll and Bute 82.2 81.9 79.6 10 13 15 0.4 2.6 0.4 3.3
Perth and Kinross 82.6 82.8 80.0 5 3 9 -0.2 2.6 -0.2 3.3
Scottish Borders 82.5 82.4 79.8 7 6 12 0.1 2.7 0.1 3.4
Inverclyde 80.4 80.7 77.7 26 24 27 -0.3 2.7 -0.4 3.5
Stirling 82.0 81.9 79.3 12 12 18 0.1 2.7 0.1 3.5
Midlothian 81.5 81.5 78.6 16 16 20 -0.1 2.9 -0.1 3.7
East Dunbartonshire 83.5 83.5 80.4 1 1 5 0.0 3.1 0.0 3.9
Na h-Eileanan Siar 82.9 82.1 79.7 3 9 13 0.8 3.2 0.9 4.0
West Lothian 80.8 80.5 77.7 23 26 29 0.3 3.1 0.4 4.0
Highland 82.6 82.7 79.4 6 4 16 -0.1 3.2 -0.1 4.1
Scotland 81.1 81.1 78.8 - - - 0.1 2.3 0.1 2.9
Source: National Records of Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, available at:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-
2015/list-of-tables
1. The results may vary from year to year, particularly those based on small populations
2. Life expectancy has gone down for several councils in the past year. However the confidence intervals for 2012-14 and 2013-15 overlap
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 23
Appendix 3: Life expectancy at birth by intermediate zone (2006-base), males and females,
Aberdeen City, 2009-2013
Males Females
Life
expectancy
Lower
CI
Upper
CI
Life
expectancy
Lower
CI
Upper
CI
Years Years Years Years Years Years Aberdeen City 77.1 76.7 77.6 82.1 81.7 82.4
Ashgrove 71.8 69.4 74.3 77.5 74.7 80.3
Balgownie and Donmouth East 81.8 79.5 84.2 87.0 84.7 89.3
Balgownie and Donmouth West 80.1 78.2 82.0 80.4 77.8 83.1
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield East 80.8 78.0 83.6 85.1 83.4 86.8
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield North 84.9 82.9 86.9 85.2 83.2 87.2
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield South 81.2 79.1 83.2 84.1 82.3 86.0
Bucksburn North 81.1 78.2 83.9 84.8 83.1 86.6
Bucksburn South 78.5 75.7 81.4 84.7 82.7 86.7
City Centre (Aberdeen) 73.5 71.0 76.0 83.3 79.4 87.2
Cove North 75.2 72.4 78.0 78.5 76.5 80.4
Cove South 81.0 77.8 84.1 85.7 81.7 89.7
Culter 80.1 77.6 82.6 83.2 81.4 84.9
Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber East 81.5 79.9 83.1 85.4 83.9 86.8
Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber West 78.6 75.6 81.6 82.9 80.6 85.2
Cummings Park 74.6 71.8 77.3 81.9 79.3 84.5
Danestone 78.1 75.7 80.4 81.0 79.2 82.8
Denmore 80.5 78.1 82.9 84.9 81.8 88.0
Dyce 76.6 73.8 79.3 81.0 78.9 83.1
Ferryhill North 76.6 74.3 79.0 78.0 74.1 81.9
Ferryhill South 79.3 77.0 81.6 81.8 79.6 84.0
Froghall, Powis and Sunnybank 78.2 75.4 80.9 83.2 79.9 86.5
Garthdee 74.3 72.1 76.6 81.1 79.0 83.2
George Street 72.7 69.9 75.6 78.0 75.1 80.9
Hanover 70.2 68.0 72.4 79.0 76.4 81.6
Hazlehead 80.6 78.4 82.7 82.6 80.5 84.7
Heathryfold and Middlefield 73.2 70.9 75.6 79.5 77.6 81.4
Hilton 78.7 76.8 80.7 82.4 80.5 84.3
Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg North 77.4 75.0 79.9 78.8 76.3 81.3
Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg South 78.3 76.1 80.4 80.8 78.4 83.2
Kingswells 80.4 78.2 82.6 81.8 80.1 83.5
Mastrick 74.8 72.0 77.6 82.9 80.5 85.2
Midstocket 70.0 65.2 74.7 75.0 70.7 79.4
Northfield (Aberdeen) 75.7 73.4 78.1 82.7 80.3 85.1
Old Aberdeen 74.3 70.9 77.8 77.9 74.5 81.3
Oldmachar East 80.5 78.0 82.9 83.4 81.6 85.1
Oldmachar West 79.5 76.8 82.1 86.1 83.6 88.6
Rosemount 75.5 72.9 78.1 82.9 80.5 85.3
Seaton 72.4 70.0 74.7 77.1 74.5 79.6
Sheddocksley 77.3 75.2 79.5 80.0 77.6 82.3
Stockethill 75.2 72.8 77.5 80.3 78.2 82.4
Summerhill 78.9 76.8 81.1 80.8 78.4 83.1
Tillydrone 73.7 70.7 76.7 78.8 76.4 81.1
Torry East 72.2 69.5 75.0 78.8 76.6 81.0
Torry West 70.2 68.0 72.3 75.9 73.7 78.0
West End North 82.7 80.2 85.2 82.7 80.7 84.8
West End South 78.0 75.4 80.6 82.5 80.3 84.7
Woodside (Aberdeen) 68.2 65.6 70.8 74.9 72.3 77.5
Note: figures quoted are a 5 year mean average produced by aggregating intermediate zone deaths registrations and populations
CI = 95% Confidence Interval
Source: https://scotpho.nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk/scotpho/profileSelectAction.do
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 24
Appendix 4: Estimated life expectancy at birth, males and females, intermediate zones (2006-
base), Aberdeen City, 2009-2013 comparison with 2003-2007
Male life expectancy at
birth
Female life expectancy at
birth
2009-
2013
2003-
2007 Change
2009-
2013
2003-
2007 Change
Years Years Years Years Years Years Ashgrove 71.8 70.5 1.3 77.5 72.3 5.2
Balgownie and Donmouth East 81.8 81.2 0.6 87.0 84.3 2.7
Balgownie and Donmouth West 80.1 79.3 0.8 80.4 81.3 -0.9
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield East 80.8 78.9 1.9 85.1 81.9 3.1
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield North 84.9 83.6 1.3 85.2 85.6 -0.4
Braeside, Mannofield, Broomhill and Seafield South 81.2 81.1 0.1 84.1 83.7 0.4
Bucksburn North 81.1 76.8 4.2 84.8 82.2 2.6
Bucksburn South 78.5 74.1 4.4 84.7 79.8 4.9
City Centre (Aberdeen) 73.5 73.5 0.0 83.3 78.6 4.6
Cove North 75.2 71.9 3.3 78.5 77.2 1.3
Cove South 81.0 - - 85.7 - -
Culter 80.1 76.3 3.8 83.2 82.4 0.7
Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber East 81.5 79.2 2.2 85.4 82.3 3.1
Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber West 78.6 79.5 -0.8 82.9 83.3 -0.4
Cummings Park 74.6 78.2 -3.7 81.9 80.8 1.1
Danestone 78.1 77.5 0.6 81.0 79.4 1.6
Denmore 80.5 - - 84.9 - -
Dyce 76.6 78.1 -1.5 81.0 81.4 -0.4
Ferryhill North 76.6 72.8 3.8 78.0 82.0 -4.0
Ferryhill South 79.3 75.5 3.7 81.8 81.1 0.7
Froghall, Powis and Sunnybank 78.2 75.0 3.2 83.2 82.2 1.0
Garthdee 74.3 74.1 0.3 81.1 80.6 0.5
George Street 72.7 72.1 0.7 78.0 77.0 1.0
Hanover 70.2 72.1 -1.9 79.0 77.4 1.6
Hazlehead 80.6 76.7 3.9 82.6 82.0 0.6
Heathryfold and Middlefield 73.2 67.7 5.6 79.5 76.6 2.9
Hilton 78.7 74.5 4.3 82.4 79.8 2.6
Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg North 77.4 71.8 5.6 78.8 81.1 -2.3
Kincorth, Leggart and Nigg South 78.3 76.6 1.7 80.8 80.5 0.3
Kingswells 80.4 77.8 2.5 81.8 79.3 2.5
Mastrick 74.8 72.6 2.2 82.9 78.6 4.3
Midstocket 70.0 75.4 -5.4 75.0 79.0 -4.0
Northfield (Aberdeen) 75.7 70.3 5.5 82.7 82.1 0.6
Old Aberdeen 74.3 74.6 -0.2 77.9 78.9 -1.0
Oldmachar East 80.5 80.9 -0.5 83.4 - -
Oldmachar West 79.5 81.1 -1.6 86.1 83.3 2.8
Rosemount 75.5 75.7 -0.1 82.9 81.0 1.9
Seaton 72.4 67.5 4.8 77.1 76.2 0.9
Sheddocksley 77.3 73.0 4.3 80.0 81.1 -1.2
Stockethill 75.2 74.6 0.6 80.3 77.8 2.5
Summerhill 78.9 74.3 4.7 80.8 78.7 2.1
Tillydrone 73.7 71.3 2.5 78.8 73.8 5.0
Torry East 72.2 69.9 2.4 78.8 77.2 1.5
Torry West 70.2 68.1 2.0 75.9 76.3 -0.5
West End North 82.7 79.3 3.4 82.7 83.8 -1.0
West End South 78.0 79.8 -1.7 82.5 83.2 -0.7
Woodside (Aberdeen) 68.2 69.4 -1.2 74.9 74.3 0.6
Source: Data for 2009-2013 from ScotPHO health and wellbeing profile, available at:
https://scotpho.nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk/scotpho/profileSelectAction.do
Data for 2003-2007 from National Records of Scotland, Life Expectancy in Intermediate Zones 2003-2007, available at:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-
areas/archive/life-expectancy-in-internediate-zones/2003-2007
Research and Information, Briefing Paper, Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Page 25
Appendix 5: Life expectancy at age 65 by local authority area, males and females, Scotland 2013-
2015
Males Females
Years 1 Rank
2 Years
1 Rank
2
Scotland 17.3 - 19.7 -
Aberdeen City 16.9 26 19.6 20
Aberdeenshire 18.2 6 20.2 14
Angus 18.1 8 20.5 11
Argyll and Bute 17.7 16 20.5 9
City of Edinburgh 17.9 10 20.5 10
Clackmannanshire 17.2 22 19.0 28
Dumfries and Galloway 17.8 13 19.8 17
Dundee City 17.0 25 19.3 23
East Ayrshire 17.1 24 18.4 30
East Dunbartonshire 19.3 1 21.1 4
East Lothian 17.7 17 20.5 8
East Renfrewshire 18.5 4 21.3 1
Falkirk 17.3 21 19.4 21
Fife 17.7 15 20.0 16
Glasgow City 15.2 32 18.2 32
Highland 18.2 5 20.8 5
Inverclyde 16.5 29 19.4 22
Midlothian 17.5 20 19.7 19
Moray 17.9 11 20.4 12
Na h-Eileanan Siar 17.6 18 21.1 3
North Ayrshire 16.8 27 19.2 25
North Lanarkshire 16.2 30 18.5 29
Orkney Islands 18.7 3 21.2 2
Perth and Kinross 19.0 2 20.8 6
Renfrewshire 16.7 28 19.2 26
Scottish Borders 18.1 7 20.5 7
Shetland Islands 18.0 9 20.3 13
South Ayrshire 17.7 14 19.8 18
South Lanarkshire 17.1 23 19.1 27
Stirling 17.8 12 20.1 15
West Dunbartonshire 16.0 31 18.4 31
West Lothian 17.5 19 19.3 24
Source: National Records Scotland, Life Expectancy for Administrative Areas within Scotland 2013-2015, Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-in-scottish-areas/2013-2015/list-of-tables
1The results may vary from year to year, particularly those based on small populations. 2Rank out of 32 local authority areas (high to low).
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