Scottish Cities

Male life expectancy at birth, selected Scottish cities
Male LE Scot cities 2020 22Click on graph to expand

Despite overall rises in life expectancy in the last 150 years across Scotland, male life expectancy in Glasgow remains considerably lower than in other Scottish cities. Improvements in life expectancy stalled from 2012 onwards and this is likely to be as a consequence of UK austerity policies. In the period shown, 2020-2022, increased mortality due to the Covid-19 pandemic (which began in early 2020) has led to a further sharp reduction in life expectancy. In 2020-22, a boy born in Glasgow was estimated to be likely to live for 72.9 years, which is 4.8 years less than in Edinburgh and 3.6 years less than in Scotland as a whole.

Female life expectancy at birth, selected Scottish cities
Female LE Scot cities 2020 22Click on graph to expand

Female life expectancy also increased overall across Scotland over the last century and a half, but female life expectancy in Glasgow remains lower than in other Scottish cities. Improvements in life expectancy started to stall from 2012 and this has been followed by actual reductions. In the period shown, 2020-2022, increased mortality due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a further reduction in life expectancy. In 2020-22, a girl born in Glasgow was estimated to be likely to live for 78.2 years, 4 years less than in Edinburgh and 2.5 years less than in Scotland as a whole.

Notes

The data underlying these graphs come from National Records of Scotland.

In August 2021 the GCPH published Health in a changing city: Glasgow 2021a report that examined demographic, socio-economic, environmental and health trends in Glasgow over the last two decades and trends in life expectancy by neighbourhood and by deprivation were included.

Research on the impact of austerity on mortality and life expectancy can be accessed on the GCPH website. The most recent paper on the likely impact of UK austerity policies was published in October 2022: ‘Bearing the burden of austerity: how do changing mortality rates in the UK compare between men and women?

This page was last updated in October 2023.

Additional Resources

  • Resource
    Thursday, 26 May 2011

    Your Better Life Index

    A new, interactive index allowing users to measure and compare their lives.
  • Resource
    Wednesday, 18 May 2011

    Investigating a 'Glasgow Effect'

    Why do equally deprived UK cities experience different health outcomes?
  • Resource
    Monday, 14 February 2011

    Population with a Disability in Glasgow

    2008 Estimates for Glasgow City, Community Planning Partnership areas and Social Work Services Planning areas.
  • Resource
    Sunday, 1 November 2009

    Miniature Glasgow - Video

    An extension of the GCPH's work profiling Glasgow's health, produced in collaboration with the International Future Forum.
  • Resource
    Wednesday, 19 August 2009

    A Games Legacy for Glasgow

    Brochure outlining the potential legacy of Glasgow's role as Commonwealth Games host city in 2014.
  • Resource
    Friday, 17 July 2009

    Views of Health in Glasgow - Video

    Originally produced for an international audience at a conference in Pittsburgh, USA, this film provides insights on health concerns and beliefs drawn from interviews with Glaswegians themselves and with a group of health experts.
  • Resource
    Monday, 3 April 2006

    Let Glasgow Flourish

    A comprehensive report on health and its determinants in Glasgow and West Central Scotland
View more Resources »