- By Adam bin Azizi Al-Saud
Austerity and Poverty blamed as UK life expectancy drops to just 78
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The UK had seen a consistent and steady rise in life expectancy rising by 13 weeks per year since 1980.
By 2014 the UK had one of the highest life expectancies in the world at 83 years for women the UK government’s Office of National Statistics told Al-Sahawat Times.
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For those already over 65 life was even better with a life expectancy of 89 years of age in 2015 according to the UK ONS.
In 2008 the world saw the worst ever global financial crash casting the under 35s into abject poverty and entire countries into bankruptcy and decades of austerity.
The UK, who’s capital London is propped up almost entirely by the financial sector was hit harder than most followed by the devastation of 2 hung parliaments, Brexit and a long series of scandals.
The health, housing, benefits and education sectors were hit the hardest with millions of British people unable to afford basic food stuffs relying on food banks at a level not even seen during the second World War.
Factoring in self employed and zero hour contracts UK unemployment for those not in education, homelessness and prison occupancy rates all reached all time record highs as violent and racially aggravated crimes broke all known records.
In 2015 racially aggravated violent crimes by British males against Muslim females rose by more than 700% in one year, rising again in 2016 following Brexit and again in 2017 following a series of terror attacks by both fundamentalists and far right white supremacists.
Education, health care and mental health services suffered as living costs spiralled and wages and work opportunities fell.
2016 and 2017 saw the exodus of global corporations away at least in part from the UK to the EU following Brexit with the UK missing out on landmark free trade deals such as the EU-Japan free market deal of 2017.
In 2016 it was announced that the most common cause of death in the under 35 males in the UK was suicide with mental health and poverty given as the leading causes.
Generation Gap
There is a clear divide in the UK between the over 65s and under 35s.
Over 65s:
- Voted overwhelming to leave the EU
- Voted Conservative
- Have a life expectancy of 89
- Most common cause of death is cancer.
- Are financially stable with most having no debt, owning their own homes, safe pensions and considerable savings.
- Are voluntarily not in work, being able to afford retirement.
Under 35s:
- Voted overwhelming to remain in the EU
- Voted Labour
- Have a life expectancy of 78
- Most common cause of death is suicide (among males) followed by cancer and stress related heart disease.
- Highest rates of homelessness and unemployment
- Lowest average annual incomes
- 4% lower university level educated
- Most likely to be victim of violent crime
- Lowest ever levels of home ownership
- Highest levels of debt with student loans alone making up more than £100bn
- Highest use of food banks
- Highest rates of stress relates illness
- Highest rates of malnutrition
- Highest rates of mental health problems
- Highest rate of imprisonment (80’000 per year)
- Highest rates of divorce
- Lowest ever birth rate
- Lowest ever marriage rate
Countries with the highest life expectancy:
Source: World Economic Forum 2017, a mean life expectancy of men and women of all age groups as of 2017. Rounded to the closest whole year.
1) Monaco 90
2) Macau 85
3 – 4) Japan and Hong Kong 84
5 – 9) Spain, Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Singapore 83
10) Andora 82
11 – 15) Canada, Sweden, Iceland, Anguilla, Bermuda 81
Notable changes are Japan, long reigning number one has dropped although some sources still cite the life expectancy as over 91 male suicide rates are hard to factor into Japanese cultural statistics possibly leading to the more modest estimate of 84 by the WEF.
The UK and USA both on 78 fail to make the top 50. The USA has however not dropped and continues to remain stable.
Not including deaths by war, Afghanistan and Chad have the lowest life expectancy at 50 years with Somalia at 51 years.
Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, West Sahara, Balkan Territories and North Korea have no data.
The UK and USA have the lowest life expectancies out of the Western Developed Nations.
The UK has a further north-south divide with parts of Northern England dropping a further 10 years according to a Yorkshire based research company.
The global average life expectancy including developing nations and war zones in the first half of 2017 was 72. This puts Northern England 4 years BELOW the average life expectancy line. The first time ever that the UK has been in the same category as undeveloped nations and war zones.
The UK as of 2017 has 1 in 3 below the poverty line unable to afford basics such as food and hygiene requirements.
Out of those in full time employment 1 in 5 are still below the poverty line.
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A.AziziSaud@alsahawat.com
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