New research from the ONS (February 2026, using 2022–24 data) shows that at birth, men can expect a healthy life expectancy of 60.7 years and women 60.9 years — down by 1.8 and 2.5 years respectively from the previous period.
The gap between general and healthy life expectancy has important consequences for retirement planning. Building in a reserve fund to help with the costs of failing health should be part of any long-term plan.
