FOI Ref: FOI/2021/2823
You asked
Please supply the ethnicity health and life expectancy statistics for England for 2018, 2019 and the latest available.
We said
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request requesting ethnicity health and life expectancy statistics for England for 2018, 2019 and the latest available.
Our best and most up-to-date, official estimates of the population of England by ethnic group remains those derived from the 2011 Census. These data are freely available at national and subnational level on the Nomis website.
You may be interested in the following tables:
- The general health by ethnic group [DC3204EWR] table provides 2011 Census estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by general health, by ethnic group, by sex and by age. The estimates are as at census day, 27 March 2011 by 24 ethnic group categories (or classifications).
- The long-term health problem or disability by ethnic group [DC3205EWR] table provides 2011 Census estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by long-term health problem or disability by ethnic group, by sex and age. The estimates are as at census day, 27 March 2011 by 24 ethnic group categories (or classifications).
The first results from the 2021 Census are due in Spring next year.
As such, more recent ethnicity health and life expectancy statistics for England are considered exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. Furthermore, as a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.
You may also find the following information useful:
We produce national life tables, but these are not by ethnicity. For information the National life tables -- life expectancy in England 2017 to 2019 dataset covers a period of three consecutive years. The table is produced annually and the next release covering the period 2018 to 2020 is provisionally due for publication in September 2021.
You may be interested in a report produced by ONS on experimental analysis of ethnic differences in life expectancy and cause-specific mortality in England and Wales based on 2011 Census and death registrations. Ethnic differences in life expectancy and mortality from selected causes in England and Wales: 2011 to 2014. The experimental analysis data is Life expectancy estimates for England and Wales by age, sex and ethnic group: 2011 to 2014.
When accessing any of our files, please read the 'notes, terms and conditions' contained within them.
If you have any further queries about this information, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at pop.info@ons.gov.uk.