Life expectancy in England surged in 2019 for both men and women, in a surprise rebound after years of stagnation, according to official government figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said life expectancy for women at birth increased to 83.6 years in 2019, up four months compared with 2018. For men the increase was three months, taking their life expectancy to 79.9 years.

The rises represent the biggest jump since the start of the decade. Longevity improvements in England first faltered in 2011 and had plateaued since 2013, with critics blaming austerity and NHS cuts. Among women, life expectancy fell in both 2012 and 2015.

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Increases in life expectancy in 2019 were across the board at all age levels. The ONS said a woman who has reached 65 years old can now expect to live another 21.5 years, up three months on the figure it reported in 2018. Men at age 65 will live on average another 19.1 years, up from 18.8 years in 2018.

Changes to longevity have huge implications for pensions. The slowing in life expectancy had prompted some calls for a review of the increase in the state pension age.

Former pension minister Steve Webb, now a consultant with actuaries LCP, cautioned against reading too much into any one set of figures, saying that a cold winter, a warm summer or viruses can have a big impact on the data. The ONS said the figures for 2019 were “provisional”.

“‘An improvement in life expectancy data is very good news, though we should be wary of reading too much into a single year’s figures,” Webb said.

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“It is also true that these averages conceal a great deal of variation between different parts of the country and different groups. Assuming these new figures represent a return to the upward trend of life expectancy, this should put an end to insurance companies being able to ‘bank’ profits where their assumptions about improving life expectancy has not been met.

“From the point of view of the individual saver, these figures are reminder that the average man or woman at 65 can expect to have to manage their pension pot for a good two decades. For all the talk of ‘working til we drop’, in reality retirements for many people are going to be longer than in the past and we need to think hard about helping people make good choices with their money not just at retirement but all the way through retirement,” said Webb.

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The figures are also likely to prompt fresh debate about the impact of austerity. Last month a landmark review by Sir Michael Marmot found that life expectancy had stalled for the first time in more than 100 years and even reversed for the most deprived women in society. It found that not only were lifespans stalling, but people are living longer in poor health.

Pensions and investments adviser Tom Selby, of stockbroker AJ Bell, said: “Politically speaking, some people might take these ONS figures as confirmation of the impact of austerity – in that the halt in longevity increases coincided with cuts to services. But the figures are quite volatile and, while it’s positive news that longevity is increasing again, we can’t be sure they are not going to plateau again.”



