England · Local authority
Bedford
At current death rates, a boy born in Bedford can expect to live 79.6 years and a girl 83.9: 0.1 years above England for men and 0.6 years above England for women. Male life expectancy is about where it was in 2011–13.
- Men, at birth
- 79.6
- Women, at birth
- 83.9
- Healthy years, men
- 62.5
- Healthy years, women
- 62.7
95% CI 79.1–80.1
+0.1 years vs England
95% CI 83.4–84.3
+0.6 years vs England
95% CI 57.7–67.3
+1.6 years vs England
95% CI 56.9–68.5
+1.4 years vs England
Over time
Life expectancy at birth since 2001–03, with the 95% interval, against England (dashed) and the UK (grey).
Men
2022–24: 79.6 · England 79.5
Women
2022–24: 83.9 · England 83.3
Among 359 local authorities
Each dot is one area, 2022–24. Hover to see which; click to open it.
Men
172ndof 359
1st = longest life expectancy
Women
123rdof 359
1st = longest life expectancy
Healthy and not
Years expected in good health, and the rest, at birth in 2022–24.
Men
Women
Good or very good healthNot in good health
Deprivation
Bedford is in the 5th most deprived tenth of English local authorities by IMD 2025 score. These are the others in the same tenth, sorted by male life expectancy.
Ranked 138 of 296 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (1 = most deprived).
Men Women
- Barnet
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Redbridge
- West Devon
- East Suffolk
- Ashford
- Crawley
- Somerset
- Havant
- North Norfolk
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Hillingdon
- Canterbury
- Breckland
- Redditch
- Forest of Dean
- Bedford
- Arun
- Brighton and Hove
- Newark and Sherwood
- Tamworth
- Cannock Chase
- Thurrock
- South Holland
- Wyre
- North Warwickshire
- Erewash
- Worcester
- North Tyneside
Local circumstances
Latest OHID figures against England (grey tick). The shaded band is the middle half of English local authorities; teal is better than England, red worse. These travel with life expectancy but don't explain it on their own.
Smoking
2024
12.4%vs 10.4%
higher than 75% of areas
Obesity
2024/25
36.5%vs 26.6%
higher than 96% of areas
Physical inactivity
2024/25
18.8%vs 21.8%
lower than 66% of areas
Alcohol admissions
per 100,000, 2023/24
545vs 612
higher than 52% of areas
Deprivation score
2025
19.8vs 21.8
higher than 54% of areas
Child poverty
2024/25
17.8%vs 19.8%
higher than 55% of areas
Unemployment
2025
4.1%vs 4.5%
higher than 53% of areas
Fuel poverty
2024
9.3%vs 10.0%
lower than 60% of areas
Air pollution deaths
2024
5.3%vs 5.3%
higher than 58% of areas
Deaths, age-standardised per 100,000
Cardiovascular, under 75
per 100,000, 2023–25
74vs 74
higher than 56% of areas
Cancer, under 75
per 100,000, 2023–25
120vs 118
higher than 58% of areas
Respiratory, under 75
per 100,000, 2023–25
34vs 33
higher than 63% of areas
Liver disease, under 75
per 100,000, 2023–25
22vs 20
higher than 66% of areas
Drug misuse
per 100,000, 2022–24
4.2vs 5.8
lower than 68% of areas
Suicide
per 100,000, 2022–24
13.0vs 11.0
higher than 72% of areas
Avoidable deaths
Deaths under 75 that could mostly have been avoided through prevention or timely treatment, 2022–24, persons, per 100,000.
avoidable
232
England 234 · −1%
preventable
151
England 151 · +0%
treatable
81
England 83 · −2%
Period life expectancy summarises death rates in 2022–24; it isn't a forecast. Sources: ONS, OHID Fingertips (fetched 2026-09-24), MHCLG. Methods
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