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31 An increase in healthy life expectancy at age 65 (England).

Baseline and trends: Baseline year – 1997 (based on General Household Survey data for 1996 and 1998). Healthy life expectancy at age 65 (based on self-reported health) is higher for women than for men. In 2003, men at age 65 could expect to live 12.5 years in good or fairly good health while the corresponding estimate for women was 14.4 years. Between 1981 and 1997 (the baseline year), healthy life expectancy at age 65 increased for both sexes – for men from 10.1 to 11.9 years and for women from 12.0 to 13.3 years. Since 1997 changes have been smaller. These take account of the updated calculation of healthy life expectancy since 2001.

Healthy life expectancy at age 65 (England)

* New methodology of calcluating healthy life expectancy introduced.

Healthy life expectancy at age 65 (England)
	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Male	10.1	10.1	10.1	10.2	10.4	10.4	10.5	10.6	10.9	11.0	10.9	10.9
Female	12.0	12.0	12.1	12.1	12.3	12.3	12.4	12.3	12.6	12.8	13.1	13.2
	1993	1994	1995	1996	Baseline 1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2001*	2002	2003
Male	11.0	11.1	11.4	-	11.9	-	11.7	-	11.7	12.0	12.1	12.5
Female	13.2	13.0	13.2	-	13.3	-	13.3	-	13.3	14.2	14.1	14.4
* New methodology for calculating healthy life expectancy introduced. Note: Healthy life expectancy was not calculated for the years 1996, 1998 and 2000 as the General Household Survey (GHS) was not conducted in 1997 and 1999. Furthermore, methodology for the calculation of healthy life expectancy was revised in 2001. Hence, two figures are shown for 2001, based on the "old" and "new" series. Some figures have seen small revisions in line with Census 2001 population estimates. Life expectancy estimates can be found on the Government Actuary's Department website and in the further information box on the Opportunity for all website.

Definition: Healthy life expectancy at age 65 is defined as the average number of years people aged 65 can expect to live in good or fairly good health (based on self-assessed general health) if they experienced the current age-specific good/fairly good health rates of older age groups during their life span. In other words, today’s 65-year-olds having the good or fairly good health rates, in the future, of those aged above 65 today.

All data except the 1997 and 1999 points are three-year moving averages plotted on the central year (for example, 1995 uses data for 1994–96). There are no data for 1996, 1998 and 2000 as the General Household Survey was not undertaken in 1997 and 1999. Furthermore, healthy life expectancy estimates for 2001 onwards were calculated using revised methodology to incorporate improved 2001 Census population estimates and changes in the weighting methodology in the General Household Survey. They are therefore not directly comparable with previous years – a suitable adjustment needs to be made when comparing healthy life expectancy data for 1997 and 2003.

The next data update (2004) will be available in February 2008 and will be provided on the Opportunity for all website at that time.

Data source: Health status and population estimates from the Office for National Statistics; historical interim life tables for the period 1980–82 to 2001–03 from the Government Actuary’s Department.

Further information

For more information about life expectancy at age 65 see the table below:

	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Male	13.07	13.15	13.28	13.34	13.44	13.54	13.73	13.88	13.99	14.1	14.25	14.32
Female	17.04	17.14	17.27	17.32	17.39	17.48	17.64	17.72	17.81	17.87	18.02	18.01
	1993	1994	1995	1996	Baseline 1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2001*	2002	2003
Male	14.5	14.58	14.78	14.93	15.14	15.31	15.53	15.79	16.06	16.07	16.3	16.5
Female	18.16	18.18	18.33	18.37	18.49	18.58	18.76	18.97	19.17	19.18	19.2	19.4

The healthy life expectancy series, along with the corresponding life expectancy at birth and at 65, available for Great Britain and England is at: www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=12964&Pos=&ColRank=2&Rank=832

An article in Health Statistics Quarterly reported on disability free life expectancy and healthy life expectancy by area deprivation in England and Wales using data from the 2001 Census.

Health expectancies for individual wards in England and Wales (1999-2003) have been released as experimental statistics in August 2007. The release is accompanied by a public consultation with a closing date of 23 November 2007. The experimental statistics and consultation can be found at:

England for the years 1994-1999. Work is ongoing - these results will be updated using data from the 2001 Census. This can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/HSQ34.pdf

Data for life expectancy at birth for health and local authorities in England and Wales can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=12964

Life expectancy is also calculated at birth and 65 and by social class for men and women. Data can be downloaded from: www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8460&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=272

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