Gentleman laughing with a woman.

How Long Will I Live?

Thinking About Torbay[3]

In Torbay we are as a population, older than England as a whole. Our average resident’s age is 49 years, the average age nationally is 40 years.

Around 1 in 4 Torbay residents are over 65. By 2033, we expect this to rise to 1 in 3.

This chart shows the increasing number of over 65 year olds living in Torbay with around 30,000 in 1993, just below this in 2003 and then around 33,000 in 2013 and around 38000 in 2023.

There are big differences between wards

Percentage of residents aged 65 years and over within these wards

Wellswood 43.3%. Roundham with Hyde 28.3% and Kings Ash 16.7%

The average length of time someone born in the UK today can expect to live is around 81 years. In Torbay the average lifespan for men is 78 years and 83 years for women. But if we look more closely, the average for men in Tormohun is 75 years compared with 83 years for men in Churston with Galmpton.
For women it is 81 years in Roundham with Hyde compared to 85 years in St Peter’s with St Mary’s. This does not mean it is time to pack our bags and move wards, but it does reflect the stark differences in life chances depending on where we grow up.

Lifespan varies according to things like our sex, where we live, and the level of disadvantage we face throughout life.

Interested in finding out more about health data for specific wards in Torbay? Click or tap here

People living in the least deprived areas of England spend more of their lives in good health than those in the most deprived areas.

-Centre for Ageing Better

Healthspan is as important as lifespan

For men who are 65 today, they can expect up to just under 11 more years in health. For women it is 12 years. And as women tend to live longer, so they spend longer in ill-health. For those in more deprived areas, the gap is wider. This means that on average we can expect to live between two and four years in poor health, and for many people far more. This is our challenge…

Centre for Ageing infographic showing that people living in the least deprived areas of England spend more of their lives in good health than those in the most deprived areas. — Credit: Centre for Ageing Better[4]

How can we reduce the health gap between different areas in Torbay?

Let’s look at some of the different aspects of ageing in Torbay, and how they contribute to a healthy later life.

Will I be lonely? How will I spend my time? Where will I live? How will I get around? How will society see me? Will I be digitally excluded?

[3] https://www.southdevonandtorbay.info/media/4wacnujo/2025-2026-torbay-jsna.pdf

[4] Centre for Ageing Better (2023) Health and Wellbeing. In: State of Ageing 2023-24. [online] Available at: https://ageing-better.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing-state-ageing-2023 -4

How does it feel to grow older in Torbay?

Will I be lonely?

Read me the page