Life expectancy Glasgow: the figures and the gap
Glasgow has the lowest life expectancy of any council in Scotland. But where you live inside the city matters far more than living in Glasgow at all.
By Graeme · Published 29 October 2026 · 5 min read
Last updated · Figures checked
Quick answer · Life expectancy in Glasgow, 2022 to 2024
74.3years for men
Women in Glasgow can expect 78.7 years. Both are the lowest of Scotland's 32 council areas, 2.9 and 2.4 years below Scotland as a whole.
- Glasgow, men
- 74.3 years
- Glasgow, women
- 78.7 years
- Scotland, men
- 77.2 years
- Scotland, women
- 81.1 years
2022 to 2024, published 10 December 2025Source National Records of Scotland
On this page
Life expectancy in Glasgow is 74.3 years for men and 78.7 for women. Both are the lowest of Scotland's 32 council areas. The figures are rising again after the pandemic, but the gap inside the city is far bigger than the gap between Glasgow and the rest of Scotland.
Average life expectancy Glasgow
These are the latest National Records of Scotland figures, for 2022 to 2024, published on 10 December 2025. They're worked out over three years so that one good or bad year doesn't swing them.
2022 to 2024
Life expectancy at birth
| Glasgow | Scotland | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 74.3 years | 77.2 years | 2.9 years |
| Women | 78.7 years | 81.1 years | 2.4 years |
NRS doesn't publish one figure for men and women together, so any single number you see for everyone in Glasgow isn't an official one.
It's also worth knowing what the number means. It's how long a baby would live, on average, if the death rates at each age stayed as they were in those three years. It isn't a for anyone in particular.
Glasgow male life expectancy
74.3 years
Life expectancy for men in Glasgow, the lowest in Scotland
2022 to 2024. Scotland 77.2, East Renfrewshire 81.5.
That's 2.9 years less than Scotland as a whole, and 7.2 years less than East Renfrewshire, which borders the city and has the highest figure in Scotland.
It has moved a lot. In 2001 to 2003 it was 69.1. It rose to 73.6 by 2017 to 2019, fell back to 72.9 over the pandemic years, and is now the highest NRS has recorded for the city. For women the picture is flatter: 78.7 now, about where it was ten years ago.
Three year periods
Glasgow and Scotland over time
| Period | Glasgow men | Glasgow women | Scotland men | Scotland women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 to 2003 | 69.1 | 76.4 | 73.5 | 78.9 |
| 2009 to 2011 | 72.1 | 78.2 | 76.2 | 80.6 |
| 2012 to 2014 | 73.3 | 78.7 | 77.1 | 81.1 |
| 2017 to 2019 | 73.6 | 78.3 | 77.2 | 81.1 |
| 2020 to 2022 | 72.9 | 77.9 | 76.5 | 80.7 |
| 2021 to 2023 | 73.6 | 78.3 | 76.8 | 80.8 |
| 2022 to 2024 | 74.3 | 78.7 | 77.2 | 81.1 |
The gap inside Glasgow
The bigger story is inside the city. NRS splits Glasgow's own neighbourhoods into five equal groups by how deprived they are. Over 2020 to 2024, men in the most deprived fifth could expect 67.6 years. In the least deprived fifth it was 80.9. That's a gap of 13.3 years, inside one city.
For women it was 74.0 against 84.0, a gap of 10.0 years.
2020 to 2024
Life expectancy across Glasgow, by deprivation
| Fifth of Glasgow | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 1, most deprived | 67.6 | 74.0 |
| 2 | 71.0 | 76.2 |
| 3 | 72.8 | 77.6 |
| 4 | 76.8 | 80.6 |
| 5, least deprived | 80.9 | 84.0 |
So where you live in Glasgow matters far more for how long you live than whether you live in Glasgow at all. Across Scotland, the gap between the most and least deprived tenth of areas is 13.2 years for men and 10.5 for women.
The poverty side of the story is in Glasgow poverty statistics and why poverty is worse in Glasgow. Drug deaths follow the same pattern, and I've covered them in drug deaths and deprivation.
Glasgow against every other council
2022 to 2024
Life expectancy by council area
| Council | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 74.3 | 78.7 |
| North Ayrshire | 75.0 | 79.7 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 75.0 | 79.7 |
| North Lanarkshire | 75.2 | 78.9 |
| Dundee | 75.3 | 79.6 |
| Inverclyde | 75.6 | 79.6 |
| East Ayrshire | 75.7 | 78.9 |
| Clackmannanshire | 75.9 | 80.3 |
| Falkirk | 76.3 | 80.0 |
| Renfrewshire | 76.5 | 80.9 |
| Western Isles | 76.8 | 80.8 |
| South Ayrshire | 76.8 | 81.3 |
| South Lanarkshire | 76.8 | 80.5 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 77.2 | 81.2 |
| Aberdeen | 77.3 | 81.3 |
| Fife | 77.3 | 80.9 |
| West Lothian | 77.3 | 80.8 |
| Highland | 77.7 | 82.0 |
| Moray | 77.7 | 82.2 |
| Midlothian | 77.8 | 82.0 |
| Angus | 78.1 | 81.7 |
| Argyll and Bute | 78.1 | 81.9 |
| Edinburgh | 78.3 | 82.2 |
| Stirling | 78.5 | 82.2 |
| East Lothian | 78.7 | 82.6 |
| Scottish Borders | 79.0 | 82.7 |
| Perth and Kinross | 79.1 | 82.8 |
| Orkney | 79.3 | 82.8 |
| Aberdeenshire | 79.5 | 82.9 |
| Shetland | 79.5 | 83.9 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 80.3 | 84.2 |
| East Renfrewshire | 81.5 | 84.9 |
At 65
The gap doesn't close later in life. A Glasgow man who reaches 65 can expect about 15.8 more years, against 17.8 across Scotland. For women it's 18.1 against 19.8.
Older figures you might see
You'll still see older numbers quoted, from the series that ended at 2017 to 2019, or the 2021 to 2023 figures, when Glasgow men were at 73.6. The 2022 to 2024 figures above replace both.
See the rest of Glasgow's figures
Child poverty, pay, the council's budget and the cost of living, for Glasgow in one place.
Glasgow in numbers
