(Image: Colin Mearns)
Seven of the 10 areas in the UK where people are most likely to die before reaching the age of 60 are in Scotland, stark new figures have revealed, amidst the country's health inequality crisis.
Glasgow has the second-highest estimated proportion of people dying before 60 in the UK, with more than one in eight failing to reach their 60th birthday under the mortality rates analysed.
Only Blackpool fares worse, with an estimated 14.7% dying before 60, compared with 12.8% in Glasgow and a UK average of 7.8%.
The analysis, published by health inequalities coalition Health Equals and shared exclusively with The Herald, places Dundee, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde among the 10 worst-performing local authorities in the UK.
Merthyr Tydfil in Wales and Middlesbrough in England are the only other areas to feature in the bottom 10.
The findings have prompted renewed calls for government action to tackle poverty, poor housing and insecure employment, amid warnings that where someone lives continues to have a profound influence on how long they can expect to live.
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Dundee has the fourth-highest estimated proportion of deaths before 60 in the UK at 12.6%, followed by North Ayrshire at 12.5%, North Lanarkshire at 12.2% and East Ayrshire at 12%.
West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde complete the seven Scottish local authorities in the bottom 10, with respective rates of 11.8% and 11.7%.
But the picture is dramatically different in some of Scotland's more affluent communities.
In neighbouring East Renfrewshire, just 5.3% of people are estimated to die before reaching 60, less than half the proportion in Glasgow.
The contrast highlights the gulf in health outcomes between communities just miles apart.
The divide is even wider when compared with the best-performing area in the UK, Hart in Hampshire, where just four per cent are estimated to die before their 60th birthday.
The research uses Office for National Statistics life tables based on mortality rates recorded between 2022 and 2024. The figures estimate the proportion of a hypothetical population who would die before 60 if those mortality rates applied throughout their lives.
Author and social commentator Darren McGarvey, who is supporting the Health Equals campaign, said the figures represented people whose lives were being cut short by circumstances often beyond their control.
Darren McGarvey (Image: Gordon Terris)
He said: "Statistics like these can be easy to ignore, but they represent real people whose lives are being cut short. When one in eight people in a city like Glasgow don't make it to 60, we're not just talking about individual choices or access to healthcare.
"I've spent years speaking to communities across Scotland and the message is often the same: people want to live healthier lives, but too many are facing barriers that are outside their control, whether that's insecure work, poor housing, poverty or a lack of opportunities.
"Health inequality isn't inevitable. If we want a fairer Scotland, we have to start treating these differences in life expectancy as a national priority rather than an unfortunate fact of life."
Health Equals, a coalition of more than 130 organisations, argues that improving the nation's health requires action well beyond the NHS.
Its Shelf Life campaign highlights the role of housing, employment, income, education and community conditions in determining people's chances of living longer, healthier lives.
The coalition wants governments to set measurable targets for tackling health inequalities and to coordinate policies across departments rather than treating poor health primarily as a matter for the NHS.
Paul McDonald, director at Health Equals, said: "Your postcode shouldn’t determine your shelf life. But in the UK, it does. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community experiencing loss that is often preventable. We should not accept a Scotland where your chances of reaching 60 are so heavily influenced by where you live.
"If governments want growth and opportunity in every postcode, they must also deliver the basics of good health in every postcode. Which is why we’re calling to make better health a priority so people can live longer, healthier lives. "
The findings have also prompted calls for action from Scottish politicians.
Paul Sweeney, Labour MSP for Glasgow, said: “It is an absolute scandal that one in eight people in Glasgow will die before the age of 60, one of the worst rates anywhere in the UK. These figures show the urgent need to tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to cut lives short.
"We need stronger government action, bringing together health, housing, urban planning, education, and social security to address the root causes of poverty and poor health. People in Glasgow cannot be condemned to die decades before their fellow citizens because of where they were born. Our communities deserve urgent, and coordinated action to give everyone a fair chance of living a longer and healthier life.”
The Scottish Conservatives said the figures showed Scotland was "falling behind".
Scottish Conservative health and care spokesman, Miles Briggs MSP said: “These shocking figures show Scotland falling behind, with the SNP’s record on public health nothing short of a national disgrace.
“After 19 years in power, SNP cuts to council budgets have put vital local services under pressure, while poverty and health inequalities continue to blight communities.
“The Scottish Conservatives would shift the focus from bloated bureaucracy to prevention, strengthen primary care and tackle the root causes of poor health, so your postcode no longer determines your chances of living a long and healthy life”.
Susan Murray, Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dunbartonshire, said: “These figures should be a wake-up call. Scotland has made progress on some aspects of public health, but the reality is that too many communities continue to experience poorer health and shorter lives than others.
"No one should face a greater risk of dying before 60 because of the community they were born into. Addressing health inequalities must become a shared priority, not just for the NHS but across housing, employment, transport and education."
Health Equals warned that efforts to improve economic growth and opportunities across Scotland would be undermined unless the root causes of poor health were addressed.
It is calling for a coordinated approach across government to ensure that people have a fairer chance of living a long and healthy life, regardless of where they live.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “We welcome the most recent Scottish life-expectancy estimates which show an increase for both males and females.
“However, it remains unacceptable that inequalities persist – that’s why the Scottish Government is continuing to work to improve health, and support people to live longer, healthy and fulfilling lives.
“Our Population Health Framework, co-authored with COSLA, sets out our 10-year approach to tackle the causes of ill-health.
“Under this, we are already delivering action including restrictions on the promotion of less healthy foods, and creating a tobacco-free generation. We are also working with partners to drive forward our new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan, which is backed by record funding and focuses on prevention at the earliest opportunity and targeting support at the communities most at risk.
“We know that health outcomes are closely linked to people’s circumstances and environments, and the evidence underpinning Scotland’s Population Health Framework shows that years of austerity have contributed to poorer health outcomes and a stalling of improvements in life expectancy. Our priority is to create a fairer, more prosperous Scotland and we are allocating around £3.5 billion in 2026-27 to tackle poverty and the cost of living.”