Scottish life expectancy improvements stall

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-49343732

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Life expectancy improvements have stalled, according to a report from the National Records of Scotland.

It said the change came after three decades in which Scottish residents have been living longer.

The Annual Review of Demographic Trends also points out that Scotland's fertility rate is the lowest in the UK.

Recent increases in population, although slowing for the second year running, have been driven by migration.

The health factors said to be contributing to life expectancy beginning to dip include;

Registrar General for Scotland Paul Lowe said: "This year's review shows that there have been changes in Scotland's life expectancy and mortality trends.

"Life expectancy in Scotland has been increasing over the long term, but recent estimates indicate that it has stopped improving.

"The largest causes of the stall in life expectancy are the slowing of improvements seen in the reduction of deaths from heart disease and increases in drug related deaths."

The report says deprivation and health are closely linked, with those in less deprived areas expected to live longer and healthier lives.

Men in the least deprived section of the population can expect to live 22.5 years longer in good health than those in the most deprived. For women, the gap is slightly greater, at 23 years.

Mr Lowe said the overall population continued to increase.

He explained: "For the 18th consecutive year, Scotland's population has increased and now stands at a record high of 5.44 million.

"Migration continues to be the main driver of Scotland's population growth, with more people coming to Scotland than leaving.

"However, we have seen our population growth slowing over the past two years. This is due to the combined effect of a fall in net migration, fewer births and more deaths."

What were the main factors in the report?

Within the overall numbers, Scotland's population continues to age.

Between 2008 and 2018, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 increased from 16% to 19%.

The report highlights regional variations in the population figures.

A total of 18 local authorities saw a population increase, with the 14 others experiencing de-population.

The largest increases were in Midlothian, City of Edinburgh, and East Lothian.

De-population was most significant in Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute, and Aberdeen City.

The low fertility rate is measured by the number of births registered in Scotland.

The 2018 total of 51,308 represents a 3% decline on the 2017 figure.

People appear to be having children later in life. The average mother in Scotland is now over 30, the average father is 33.