It's official: Islanders more likely to reach 75 than people in England

Thursday 09 April 2015

Jersey’s rates of heart disease and strokes are significantly lower than English averages, according to new figures that show that Islanders are less likely to die prematurely than people in the UK.

A report into "Premature deaths of Jersey residents from 2011 to 2013" says that life expectancy is going up, and that the Health department’s work to tackle key causes of premature death is working.

It says: “Like England, a child born in Jersey today can expect to live a longer, healthier life than ever before, yet, they still have a one in three chance of dying before they reach 75.”

The report found that the number of people dying before the age of 75 was 322 per 100,000 population per year between 2011 and 2013 – a figure slightly better than the English average.

It also found that Jersey would be categorised as among the top ten of 151 regions in when compared with the English average on heart disease and strokes, although the rates of cancer, lung and liver disease were slightly higher than those in England.

The report says that Jersey has some way to go before it matches the healthiest area of the UK in terms of having the fewest deaths under the age of 75 – the current best performer is Rutland in the east midlands, which has the equivalent of 100 fewer premature deaths per year for a population the size of Jersey.

The report says: “Public Health England’s Healthier Lives initiative shows the range of premature mortality affecting different areas of England, with Rutland ranking the best for overall premature mortality (with 254 deaths per 100,000 population) and Manchester ranking the worst (with 550 deaths per 100,000 population).”