Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
State of health in the United Kingdom - Statistics & Facts
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The United Kingdom had a population of over 67 million as of 2021, the largest size it has ever been to date. The average life expectancy at birth in the UK was 80.4 years. In the UK, variations in healthy life expectancies exist depending on gender, socioeconomic factors, and geography. In recent years, inequalities in life expectancies and health status have widened between people living in the most and the least deprived communities. Between 2018 and 2020, life expectancy for males and females in the United Kingdom was highest in the London boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.
General health and an aging population
Like many other developed countries, the UK is faced with an aging population. Aging increases the risk of developing chronic diseases and long-standing illnesses. Furthermore. living an unhealthy lifestyle involving, stress, unhealthy diet, alcohol use, tobacco use and/or lack of physical activity increases the risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory illnesses, and cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of deaths in the UK, while the number of people dying from dementia or Alzheimer’s has been increasing since 2001. In 2019, 64 percent of adults in England aged 18 years and above were classed as overweight or obese (a body mass index of 25+). Even though, compared to other countries the UK spends more on preventive health services, reducing preventable mortality rates remains a challenge.COVID pandemic changes the perception of telehealth
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK, the government had already initiated digitalization of health by setting up an NHSX unit in early 2019. Before the pandemic crisis, many people in the UK did not show an eagerness on using telehealth services. According to a survey conducted in 2018, only six percent of respondents who had used telehealth were willing to use telehealth services again, while 34 percent said they didn't want to try. However, the pandemic changed the attitude of Brits towards digital health services.Conor Stewart
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Dec 20, 2023
Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
