PHE has published a report giving the most comprehensive picture of the health of England today and into the future

The Health Profile for England report covers life expectancy; major causes of death; mortality trends; child health; inequality in health; wider determinants of health; and current health protection issues. Data and evidence contained in Health Profile for England will be used to help shape the forthcoming NHS long term plan.

As a society, people are living longer – life expectancy in England has reached 79.6 years for men and 83.2 for women and we’re healthier at every age group than ever before. However, stubborn inequalities persist – in the richest areas people enjoy 19 more years in good health than those in the poorest areas.

A major theme of the Health Profile for England report is future trends in health, which will aid policymakers to prioritise efforts to prevent ill health not just deal with the consequences.

Some of the most notable findings include:

• the number of people aged 85 years has more than tripled since the 1970s and will include more than 2 million people by 2031
• the death rate for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – already the leading cause of death in women – may overtake heart disease in men as early as 2020 and is likely to become the leading cause of death in men too
• the number of people with diabetes is expected to increase by a million – from just under 4 million people in 2017 to almost 5 million in 2035
• in the last 7 years, smoking prevalence has dropped by a quarter to 15% and as little as 10% of the population could still be smoking by 2023