Richmond has the lowest rate of premature deaths in England and Wales, new data has revealed.
The data released by the ONS highlights geographical inequalities in premature mortality, defined as anyone who dies before the age of 75.
According to the data, which was collected between March 2021 and December 2023, Richmond had a premature death rate of 285 per 100,000, compared to Blackpool, which had the highest in the country, at 696 per 100,000.
ONS health research group head Daniel Ayoubkhani said: “This analysis shows a clear association between where you live and your risk of dying prematurely.
“When accounting for differences in age and sex, we see that there are substantial differences in premature mortality rates across local authorities in England and Wales.”
The figures produced by the ONS are age-standardised, meaning that differences in the age composition of local populations were accounted for to ensure a fair comparison between different areas.
Areas with higher rates of early death often face higher levels of poverty, unemployment, limited access to healthy food and green space.
The lifestyle-related conditions that were identified as the leading causes of premature death included heart disease, liver disease and cancer.
These conditions are more prevalent in communities with higher rates of smoking, alcohol abuse, poor diet and low levels of physical activity.
Richmond, on the other hand, is one of the most affluent areas in London, with high levels of employment, low rates of smoking and residents having access to green spaces.
The data exposed the inequality of these rates on a wider regional level, highlighting a North-South divide when it comes to the rates of premature deaths.
The top three regions in England with the highest rates were the North East, where all but one local authority had rates above the national average, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West.
In contrast, the three regions with the lowest rates were London, where the only local authority above the national average was Barking and Dagenham, the South West and the South East.
According to a report published last year by the UCL Institute of Health Equity, between 2011 and 2019, around 890,000 people in England died earlier than they would have if they’d experienced the same death rates as those in the wealthiest areas.
In a speech made last month, UCL Institute of Health Equity director Sir Michael Marmot said: “This is a shocking political failure.
“The worse health of the more deprived 90% of the population, compared to the best-off 10%, means that health inequalities involve the majority of society.”
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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