UK life expectancy increases slightly, although progress slows

Life expectancy in the UK has increased slightly for both men and women - although progress is slowing, new figures show.

A girl born between 2014 and 2016 is expected to live until 82.9 years old, whereas a baby boy could see 79.2 years, an increase of 0.1% on 2013 to 2015, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found.

Males born in the the same two-year period have a 21% chance of living until 90, while a female has a 32% chance of becoming a nonagenarian.

Currently, a 65-year-old man can expect to see a further 18.5 years of life, whereas a woman of the same age can expect to live a further 20.9 years.

The latest increase amounts to around one month more for men, and around a fortnight more for women compared with the previous year.

ONS Statistician Sophie Sanders said: "The rate of increase in life expectancy in the UK has slowed in recent years.

"In 2014 to 2016, improvements in life expectancy were higher than in 2013 to 2015, although they remained very slight with life expectancy at birth increasing by 0.1 years for both sexes to 79.2 years for males and 82.9 years for females."

England showed the highest life expectancy with 83.1 years for women and 79.5 for men, followed by Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland with the lowest on 81.2 for women and 77.1 for men.

The estimates are based on if mortality rates seen in the measured period are maintained throughout the individual's life.

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