NEW ILC UK report: Inequalities in disability and dependency with increasing longevity

The International Longevity Centre UK launched a new report, titled ‘Making the extra years count – Inequalities in disability and dependency with increasing longevity. Drawing on research led by Newcastle University and funded by The Dunhill Medical Trust, the report finds that inequalities in disability and dependency have been rising with increasing longevity.

Key findings include:

• Many measures of life expectancy have improved over the past decades for both men and women.
• At the same time, ill health and disability have been increasing while the proportion of life spent in good health and free from disabilities has been declining.
• Inequalities between socioeconomic groups in terms of life expectancy without disabilities at age 65 tripled between 1991 and 2011.