LIFE EXPECTANCY in Tayside and Fife has increased by around two years in a decade, figures confirmed yesterday.

But Dundee continues to have one of the lowest averages in the country—and there are concerns that the gap between rich and poor is widening.

The statistics from the General Register Office for Scotland showed life expectancy at birth in Tayside is now 75 years for men and 79.5 years for women, compared with 72.5 years and 77.8 years in 1993-95.

That breaks down further to 76.4 years for men and 80.6 years for women in Perth and Kinross and 75.8 years for men and 79.4 years for women in Angus.

Dundee ranked just 26th out of Scotland’s 32 council areas in both categories, at 73 years for men and 78.4 years for women.

Boys born in Fife are expected to live for an average of 75.4 years—up from 73 years a decade ago—while the figure for girls now stands at 79.7.

Registrar general for Scotland Duncan Macniven said, “While it is encouraging that life expectancy at birth across Scotland is increasing, there are still large differences between areas.”

Glasgow has Scotland’s lowest male life expectancy, at 69.9 years, while neighbouring East Dunbartonshire has the highest at 77.7 years.

For women, life expectancy is longest in Orkney, at 81.4 years, and shortest in Glasgow, at 76.7 years.

The Scottish Executive said, “The main problem is persistent health inequality across Scotland and improving everyone’s health while tackling these inequalities is the main aim of our health improvement policies.”

Tough targets had been set for heart disease, cancer, smoking in pregnancy, teenage pregnancies and suicide in young people, an Executive spokeswoman said.