Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) measures how long an individual is expected to live in ‘very good’ or ‘good’ health based on perceptions of their own health. In the 2021/23 period, males aged 65 years could expect to spend 10.1 years of their remaining life in good health compared with 11.2 years for females.
 
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialist Just Group, said: “The impact of the pandemic is still being felt with HLE lower than a decade ago for most age groups and just a small rise for older age groups. Women in younger age groups have seen a steeper decline than men, but a bigger improvement in older age groups.

“If life expectancy at 65 is improving more quickly than healthy life expectancy, effectively people are spending more of their lives in poor health which has implications for both the health service and for social care. The figures are a reminder for people nearing retirement of the importance of planning for several decades in retirement, to make the most of what time you have but also to have a plan should your health decline.”