People living in neighbouring postal districts can experience significant differences in life expectancy after retirement, according to new research by WTW.
The study analysed the longevity expectations of occupational pension scheme members across the UK and found that geographic location plays a notable role in life expectancy outcomes.
WTW’s Postcode Mortality Model revealed that the 10 postal districts with the highest life expectancy in retirement are located in the South of England, East Anglia, and the West Midlands. The highest life expectancy was recorded in Broadstone, Poole (BH18), where retirees are expected to live to an average age of 88.2 years.
Conversely, the 10 postal districts with the lowest life expectancy are found in areas such as South Yorkshire, Glasgow, and the East of England. In the G34 postal district of Easterhouse, Glasgow, retirees are expected to live to 83.5 years on average.
The research, which examines mortality rates among millions of private sector occupational pension recipients, highlights that factors beyond geography, such as lifestyle and wealth, have a stronger influence on life expectancy.
For instance, retirees in the B93 Solihull district of Birmingham are projected to live to 88.1 years, while those in the B35 Castle Vale district, just 10 miles away, have a lower expected lifespan of 84.3 years, a difference of 3.8 years.
In Hull, a similar disparity exists, with retirees in HU2 expected to live to 83.7 years, compared to 87.4 years in nearby North Ferriby (HU14), a difference of 3.7 years.
The research also showed that gender can also significantly widen these gaps. For example, the difference in life expectancy between a woman in B93 and a man in B35 is 6.6 years, and a similar comparison between HU2 and HU14 reveals a difference of 6.4 years.
According to WTW’s analysis, lifestyle, education, gender, and wealth are key factors in estimating life expectancy. Factors such as regular exercise, healthy eating, higher education, home ownership, and consistent saving habits correlate with longer lifespans, and these factors can vary significantly even in neighbouring areas.
Stephen Caine (pictured above), senior mortality consultant at WTW, commented that while differences in life expectancy across regions are expected, the study shows that economic and lifestyle factors play a greater role than geography.
“More significant in determining life expectancy are the economic and lifestyle factors which can vary by as much in neighbouring areas as they can across the country,” he said. “When you also factor in that women tend to live longer than men, the average retirement for two people living only 10 miles apart can be dramatically different.”
Caine added that postcode analysis, combined with other social and economic factors, is a valuable tool for predicting life expectancy.
“For example, those running a defined benefit pension scheme can use our postcode mortality analysis in understanding the life expectancy of their own membership, and therefore will be better able to assess how much money needs to be put aside now to pay pensions in future,” he said.
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