The poor die younger

 The death rate of people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland was almost double that of those in the least deprived areas last year.

Figures showed the pandemic appeared to be increasing the gap.

The National Records of Scotland's (NRS) annual population report also said the poorest could expect fewer "good health" years.

Those in the poorest areas could expect 20 fewer years of good health than the more affluent.

Men in the poorest parts of Scotland have a "healthy life expectancy" - the number of years they can expect to live in good health - of just 47 years, compared with 72.1 years for men in the least deprived areas.

Women in the richest areas can expect to enjoy more than 21 years of good health than their counterparts in more deprived areas, where the healthy life expectancy is just 50.1 years, compared with 71.6 years for the most affluent communities.

The general mortality rate in the most deprived areas of Scotland was 1.9 times the rate in the least deprived areas. However, for deaths caused by Covid-19, the figure was 2.4 times the rate of those in more affluent areas. The risk factors associated with the virus were more common in poorer communities - such as diabetes, obesity and lung disease.

 The mortality rate for drug-related deaths in deprived areas was 18.4 times higher than in more affluent areas. For alcohol-specific deaths, the figure was 4.3 times as high and for suicides it was three times higher.

Pandemic sees death rate among rich and poor widen - BBC News