Story perspectives
UK Healthy Life Expectancy Drops Amid Pandemic Mismanagement
3/1/2026
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Story summary
- Healthy life expectancy in the United Kingdom declined by three years for women and two years for men over three years, due to austerity and poor pandemic management.
- The United Kingdom has the lowest healthy life expectancy on record since 2011-13, while Sweden's remains five years higher.
- Alan Walker, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of Sheffield, urges action to improve healthy life expectancy and retain older workers.
