Women in Blaenau Gwent have second worst life expectancy

Women in the Valleys county lived an average of 79.9 years over the period of 2009 to 2011, the worst life expectancy for women in Wales.

But across the border women in Monmouthshire could expect to live four years longer, at an average of 83.9 years.

Only Manchester was worse than Blaenau Gwent, where Women live an average of 79.3 years.

However life expectancy for women has improved in the county since 2002, when the average was 78.8 years.

The figures were published by the Newport-based Office of National Statistics today.

In Caerphilly, women were seen to live an average of 81.7 years, while in Newport the figure was 82.2.

Torfaen women lived an average of 82.3 years. Overall women in Wales live an average of 82.2 years, compared to 82.9 in England.

Blaenau Gwent's men have the second worst life expectancy in Wales, at 76 years, compared to 75.8 in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Caerphilly had the seventh worst at 77.4 years, compared to 77.7 for Newport and Torfaen and 80.5 for Monmouthshire.

Figures for Blaenau Gwent, and Wales as a whole, have improved over the last ten years.

The ONS said the average life expectancy for women and men in Blaenau Gwent in 2000-02 was 78.8 and 73.3 respectively.

For Wales as a whole it has risen for men from 75.3 to 78 from 2002 to 2011, and 80 to 82.2 years for women.

BLAENAU Gwent is expected to have 4,600 fewer people by 2036, according to new statistics.

Figures from the Welsh Government show that the county's population is expected to fall from 69,800 in 2011 to 65,200, a fall of 6.6 per cent.

The population of Monmouthshire is expected to fall as well, from 91,500 to 90,300.

The number of people living in the rest of Gwent is expected to rise - Newport from 145,800 to 170,900, Caerphilly from 178,800 to 182,300, and Torfaen from 91,200 to 92,200.

Cardiff would see the largest rise in Wales according to the estimates – from 345,400 to just under half a million, at 458,500.