Country Beats City In Life Expectancy Study

13 October 2015, 11:57 | Updated: 13 October 2015, 11:58

People born in rural areas are likely to live longer than those born in cities, new figures suggest.

A report from the Registrar General for Scotland found that the life expectancy for males born in remote rural areas is 79.5 years, 3.5 years longer than those born in large urban areas.

Female life expectancy was also highest in remote rural areas, at 82.7 years - 2.1 years longer than large urban areas, where life expectancy is at its lowest.

The report, based on statistics covering 2012-2014, provides further detail on estimates published in August which showed that life expectancy is now 77.1 years for men and 81.1 years for women in Scotland.

Although life expectancy has continued to rise across the country, there is still a wide variation between different council areas, with Glasgow city the lowest for men at 73.4, and West Dunbartonshire the lowest for women at 78.7.

East Dunbartonshire had the highest life expectancy at 80.7 years for men and 83.9 years for women.

Scottish men and women still have the lowest life expectancy at birth in the UK, with male life expectancy two years lower than the UK average and female life expectancy 1.7 years lower.