Life's Lottery

Wealthy women in Glasgow are now living more than a decade longer than their poorer counterparts – and the gap is widening.

A new report from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health on health in Glasgow, shows the average life expectancy of affluent females is 85.2, while women living in the city's most deprived areas are only expected to reach 74.5. The gap has increased from 8.1 to 10.7 years over a 15-year period - a finding described as "unacceptable" by anti-poverty campaigners who argue life expectancy should not depend on wealth or the lottery of where you are born and live. The report shows that while life expectancy has increased for women from most socio-economic levels, those in affluent areas have seen a bigger increase, creating an 11-year gap between rich and poor neighbourhoods for the period 2008-2012. Four communities also saw a reduction in female life expectancy - Drumchapel, Maryhill Road Corridor, Croftfoot and Anniesland and Jordanhill and Whiteinch. Life expectancies across the city now range from a low of 73.1 years in Ruchill and Possilpark, to 84.3 years in affulent areas such as Kelvindale and Kelvinside.

The research also reveals that women in Glasgow are still more likely to die sooner than those in other Scottish cities, although the gap is narrowing. A girl born in Glasgow is likely to live for 78.7 years - 2.4 years less than girls in Scotland as a whole. For men, the gap in life expectancy in the city is wider than for women, with 13 years between the most and least deprived. This has remained relatively unchanged over the last 15 years.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: "It is unacceptable in 21st century Glasgow that the life expectancy between the richest and poorest remains so wide, and is in fact continuing to grow for women. We know that women are more likely to be in poverty than men, and there are many reasons for this including lower wages and a higher dependency on the social security system. The negative impact of poverty on health is well documented, and this research shows that we are still not making the progress we need to in this area. People's life expectancy should not rely on their postcode."

Glasgow anti-poverty group WestGAP said they regularly see women from deprived communities working into later life despite ill-health and disabilities, with many also caring for relatives. Advice worker Sinead Dunn said: "It’s upsetting but not surprising to see the increase in the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor women in Glasgow. This is another example of the devastating effect that government policies are having on the poorest in Glasgow."

John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group, added: "There is a huge body of evidence that demonstrates that a decent income is vital for good health, yet the incomes of the poorest, and women in particular, are being squeezed even further as low wages and benefit cuts bite into family finance.

"It’s vital now that the health service and government at every level build on the positive work already underway to integrate income maximisation across public health services."