Written by David Sinclair, Senior Research Associate

Why do some people enjoy more healthy years than others as they age? In our new study using national data from older adults in England, we found that factors like wealth, education, relationships, and where people live all make a difference to how long they can expect to live without frailty. This matters because frailty, a condition linked to falls, hospitalisations and loss of independence, isn’t just a part of ageing. It’s deeply tied to social inequality.

We used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to estimate how many years people can expect to live free from frailty, something known as frailty-free life expectancy. We looked at how this varied depending on people’s backgrounds, including their household wealth, level of education, neighbourhood deprivation and marital status. The research fills a significant gap in our understanding of frailty.

The results reveal stark disparities. At age 50, women in the wealthiest 20% of the population can expect to live 11 more years without frailty than women in the poorest 20%, with a 10-year gap for men. People living in the most deprived areas spend a much larger proportion of their lives with frailty than those in affluent areas. Men and women who are married and who have been to university also live longer without frailty.

This has real-world consequences. People developing frailty earlier are likely to need more support, for longer, placing pressure on health and social care systems. Tackling frailty isn’t just about health care, it’s about addressing the social and economic disadvantages that lead to poor health at a younger age. This means policies must target not just care services, but also improve access to decent housing, clean air, nutrition and community support, especially in more deprived areas.

As we age, not everyone gets to spend an equal proportion of their lives in good health without frailty than others. Ensuring more equitable ageing means addressing the deep social divides that shape our lives.

Please see below some charts showing the results, you can read more about our research in this area here.

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