What can the UK learn from the impact of migrant populations on national life expectancy?

Hiam, Lucinda; Zhang, Claire X; Burns, Rachel; Darlington-Pollock, Frances; Wallace, Matthew; McKee, Martin

Abstract

Improvements in life expectancy at birth in the UK had stalled prior to 2020 and have fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The stagnation took place at a time of relatively high net migration, yet we know that migrants to Australia, the USA and some Nordic countries have positively impacted national life expectancy trends, outperforming native-born populations in terms of life expectancy. It is important to ascertain whether migrants have contributed positively to life expectancy in the UK, concealing worsening trends in the UK-born population, or whether relying on national life expectancy calculations alone may have masked excess mortality in migrant populations. We need a better understanding of the role and contribution of migrant populations to national life expectancy trends in the UK.

Citation

Hiam, L., Zhang, C. X., Burns, R., Darlington-Pollock, F., Wallace, M., & McKee, M. (2022). What can the UK learn from the impact of migrant populations on national life expectancy?. Journal of Public Health, 44(4), e499-e505. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdac013

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Mar 22, 2022
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 7, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Public Health
• Print ISSN: 1741-3842
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-3850
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 4
• Pages: e499-e505
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdac013