Women will continue to outlive men in the UK as our lifespan increases, according to figures from the government’s actuary department.
Source: Personneltoday.com Data: UK government
Boys and girls born in 2004 can expect, on average, to live until they are 77 and 81 years of age, respectively. This contrasts dramatically with the turn of last century when boys born in 1901 could expect to live to 45 and girls to the age of 49.
Life expectancy among older adults has also increased significantly for those over the age of 65, four-and-a-half years for men and three-and-a-half for women.
Men over the age of 65 can expect to live until they are 82, while women over 65 can expect to live to an average age of 85.
The latest projections suggest this will increase to 85 for men and 88 for women by 2021.
The median age of the population has also increased significantly over the past three decades – from 34.1 years in 1971 to 38.6 in 2004. The number of people over the age of 85 rose from 7% in 1971 to 12% in 2004.
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