Death Rates for 25 to 49-Year-Olds 42% Higher in the North
Death rates among adults aged 25 to 49 were 42% higher in the North of England than in the South in 2024, against 13% in 1981, according to research published in The Lancet Public Health. The comparison takes account of differences in age and sex.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool, the University of Manchester and Health Equity North analysed national death registrations and population estimates from 1981 to 2024. They looked at how the gap varied by age and sex, and whether it changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Death rates fell overall across the four decades, though the pandemic interrupted the improvement. The widening in this age group began well before COVID-19, and during 2010 to 2019 it grew for both women and men, faster among women.
The gap among women
In the 1980s, northern women in their late twenties and thirties showed no excess mortality compared with the South. Now every five-year band of women aged 25 to 49 shows an excess of 35% to 60%. Overall, the gap for women grew from about 12% to 41%.
There was no sign of the gap narrowing in 2020 to 2024 in any group studied. For all people under 75, death rates in the North were 26% higher in 2024.
The study looked at deaths from all causes combined. The researchers plan further analysis of which causes are driving the difference.
Professor Iain Buchan of the University of Liverpool called the findings "deeply concerning for England's health, social fabric and economy". Professor Evangelos Kontopantelis of the University of Manchester said the study shows the need for sustained policy action that goes beyond healthcare to tackle deprivation, poor housing and adverse employment conditions.
The authors call for coordinated action by central government and regional authorities. They want regional authorities to have enough power over the social and economic determinants of health, and funding aimed at areas of high deprivation.
Source: University of Liverpool