Men's Health Statistics - Life and Death

Death rates

Male death rates are slightly down since 1998.

Table showing male deaths by age - United Kingdom, 1998 and 2002

(Death rates per 1000 in each age-group)

Sources: Office for National Statistics, Social Trends 30 (The Stationery Office; London, 2000) for 1998 and Office for National Statistics, Social Trends 34 (The Stationery Office; London, 2004) for 2002.

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Life expectancy

Male life expectancy varies by social class, although life expectancy among the least affluent women still exceeds that of the most affluent men.

Table showing male expectation of life, UK

Sources: Office for National Statistics, Social Trends 30 (The Stationery Office; London, 2000) for 1997 and Office for National Statistics, Social Trends 34 (The Stationery Office; London, 2004) for 2000; Office for National Statistics, Population Trends 114 (The Stationery Office; London, 2003)

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Table showing male life expectancy by social class - England and Wales, 1987-91 and 1997-99

Sources: Office for National Statistics, Health Inequalities: Decennial supplement (The Stationery Office; London, 1997) and Office for National Statistics, Longitudinal Study, Trends in life-expectancy by social class 1972-1999 (The Stationery Office; London, 2002)

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Latest life expectancy at 65 figures from National Statistics.

Healthy life expectancy

Table showing male healthy life expectancy, at birth - Great Britain, 1994 and 1999

(Years of healthy life, i.e. without a limiting long-standing illness)

Sources: Department of Health, Our Healthier Nation: A Contract for Health (The Stationery Office; London, 1998) and Office for National Statistics, Health Statistics Quarterly 15, Autumn 2002 (The Stationery Office; London, 2002)

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Deaths from major causes

Mortality rates are higher for men than women for all the major causes of death, including cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Table showing male death rates for selected causes of death - England, 1998 and 2001

(Deaths per 100,000 population)

Sources: Department of Health, Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England (The Stationery Office; London, 1999) and Department of Health, Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England (The Stationery Office; London, 2002).

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Suicide rates

Over the last 25 years, the male suicide pattern has almost totally inverted. In 1976 men over 65 were the most likely suicides. Now it is men aged 25-44.

Table showing male suicide rates - United Kingdom, 1976-2002

(Rates per 100,000 population)

Source: Office for National Statistics, Social Trends 34 (The Stationery Office; London, 2004).

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