Lifespan may soon be 90 on average, say experts

But life span differences between better and worse off communities are likely to increase to levels that mirror those dividing Western and developing countries, say the researchers.

The study, based on Office for National Statistics data combined with advanced mathematical modelling, suggests that average life expectancy for women will rise from 83.3 in 2012 to 87.6 in 2030.

For men, it is predicted to increase from 79.5 to 85.7 over the same period.

The forecasts for 2030 are higher than those issued by the Office for National Statistics by 2.4 years for men and one year for women.

But the upward trend masks significant regional differences, the research shows.

By 2030, people in affluent southern England and well-off districts of London are expected to be living more than eight years longer than those in northern urban centres such as Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as South Wales.

That is equivalent to the difference in life expectancy between the UK and Sri Lanka or Vietnam.

Within London, a stark survival gap was seen between the haves and have-nots.

In 2012, the wealthy residents of Kensington and Chelsea lived on average five or six years longer than their poorer neighbours in Barking, Dagenham and Tower Hamlets.

Lead scientist Professor Majid Ezzati, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: “The bigger gains in life expectancy we predict will mean pensions will have larger payouts, and health and social services will have to serve an older population than currently planned.”

The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, drew on death rate and population data for 375 local authority districts in England and Wales dating back to the 1980s and used mathematical models to make forecasts to 2030.