Peterborough City Council has attributed the declining life expectancy to the affect of Covid-19.

Life expectancy for both and women in Peterborough as statistically lower that the average in England.

The latest data has been released by the Office for National Statistics and it collates life expectancy across all regions of the UK.

As of 2022, life expectancy was 78.0 years for males and 81.8 for females, this is compared for the national average of 78.9 years for males and 82.8 years for females.

placeholder image — Cathedral Square, Peterborough.

For males, the data for Peterborough shows a decline. In 2020 it was 78.7 and in 2021 it was 78.5.

Female life expectancy in Peterborough has also dropped. In 2020, it was 82.5 and in 2021, it was 82.4.

Stats were also recorded for life expectancy of residents at the age of 65, as in the length of time a 65-year-old is expected to live for.

For males in Peterborough, this is 17.9 years but has dropped from 18.4 years and 18.2 in the 2020 and 2021.

For females, it is 20.4 years, down from 20.6 years and 20.5 years in 2020 and 2021.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “The latest life expectancy data for 2021 to 2023 covers the Covid period (classed as 2020 to 2022) and therefore these figures are affected by Covid deaths.

“Peterborough’s male and female life expectancy has decreased against a national increasing trend. However, numbers are relatively small, especially when looking at causes of death, and therefore prone to fluctuation as well as the impacts of a pandemic.

“We await more up to date post Covid data before we can accurately reflect on any local changes in life expectancy.”