Men in the wealthiest parts of Wales can expect to live almost six years longer than those in the poorest areas, figures have revealed. There is also a gaping divide of five years between the richest and poorest women. The life expectancy disparity between the rich and poor areas of Wales has nearly doubled since the early 1990.
Figures, published by the Assembly Government and produced by the Office for National Statistics, show that men in Ceredigion can look forward to an average lifespan of 80.4 years, closely followed by Powys and Monmouthshire with a life expectancy of 79.5 years. But the figures paint a starkly different picture in Merthyr Tydfil, where men have an average lifespan of just 74.6 years – nearly three years below the national male life expectancy in Wales. Men cannot be too optimistic elsewhere in the South Wales Valleys. Life expectancy is just 75.5 years in Rhondda Cynon Taff and 75.6 in Blaenau Gwent.
Shadow Health Minister Nick Ramsay said: “We need a revolution in attitudes towards healthcare.."
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