Life Expectancy in Scotland, 2019-2021

Last update: 22 September 2022
Next update: September 2023
Frequency: Annual

Correction 20 January 2023 - An error was found in the population data used to calculate 2019-2021 subnational life expectancy in this publication. This had been corrected with small changes made to the estimates in council areas and health boards. This error did not affect the headline life expectancy estimates at Scotland level, nor the estimates by SIMD and Urban-Rural classification.

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Key Findings

• Life expectancy in Scotland was 76.6 years for males and 80.8 years for females in 2019-2021
• It has decreased by more than 11 weeks for males and almost 8 weeks for females since 2018-2020
• The majority of this fall is due to mortality from COVID-19
• Scotland has the lowest life expectancy of all UK countries
• Life expectancy was highest in Orkney Islands and lowest in Glasgow city for both males and females in 2019-2021
• Most of Scotland’s council areas have seen a fall in life expectancy over the last few years
• Male life expectancy in the most deprived areas of Scotland was 13.7 years lower than in the least deprived areas in 2019-2021
• Female life expectancy in the most deprived areas of Scotland was 10.5 years lower than in the least deprived areas in 2019-2021
• Life expectancy was higher in rural areas than in urban areas

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