North Highland residents living longer, results reveal
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
PEOPLE in the Far North are living longer, according to results released by the Scottish Government.
The Office of National Statistics has published figures which show people in the North Highlands are on average living two years longer than six years ago.
Last year the average life expectancy for a male living in the region was 77 – an increase of 1.9 years compared to the 2005 figure.
Women are also living longer with an average life span of 81 years, an increase of 1.6 compared to 79.4 years in 2005.
The area is ranked 14th out of 36 regions across Scotland for life expectancy with Glasgow the lowest with an average of 71.7 years.
The results also revealed the country continues to have the lowest life expectancy of all UK regions.
Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant said with seven of the bottom-10 areas also being in Scotland, it should drive home to the Government more is needed to tackle poverty and depravation.
"I am in no doubt that poor health is directly linked to low income and poverty. The Scottish Government need to stimulate job growth, create opportunities for the young, ensure employees obtain at least the living wage and do away with the postcode lottery as far as health and other important issues are concerned."
