How we now live TWICE as long as the Victorians but growing life expectancy means our pensions could run out
- Children born in 1840 could expect to live to 40 but today would reach 80
- Fewer diseases, better public health and safer jobs mean we live longer
- State pension age was 70 when introduced in 1908 but only 65 today
Dramatic improvements in life expectancy means a child born in Britain today will live twice as long as someone born as Queen Victoria came to the throne.
Sharp falls in diseases, child mortality, better public health and safer work conditions mean children today can expect to reach 80 compared to the 1840s when turning 40 was an achievement.
The sharp shift in the nation's health is also causing financial pressures, with pensions now having to last twice as long as more people spend decades in retirement.
Sharp falls in diseases, child mortality, public health and safer work conditions children today can expect to reach 80 compared to the 1840s when turning 40 was an achievement
The Office for National Statistics examined life expectancy figures dating back to 1841, when Victoria had been queen for just four years.
They found that a newborn boy was expected to live for just 40 years and a girl 42 years.
But by 2011, a baby born had a life expectancy of 79 years and a girl almost 83.
The ONS said: 'The low life expectancies of the 19th Century can be explained by the higher number of infant deaths.
'Survival past the first year of life was historically a predominant factor in life expectancies and once a child had reached 5 years of age, he or she was much more likely to reach a greater age.
'Whereas a newborn boy was expected to live to age 40.2 in 1841, a one-year-old boy in that same year had a life expectancy of 46.7 years – 6.6 years higher than a newborn.'
Women have always lived longer than men, although the gap has been narrowing since the 1970s
In the 1840s around 15 per cent of babies died before turning one, compared with 0.4 per cent in 2011
Infant deaths were a major factor in slashing life expectancies, because so many children failed to even reach their first birthday.
In the 1840s around 15 per cent of babies died before turning one, compared with 0.4 per cent in 2011.
By 1891, the life expectancy of a boy who had reach one was 8 years higher a newborn, and almost 7 years higher among girls.
Since then there has been major increases in the life chances of children, driven by improvements in public hygiene, childhood immunisations and the creation of the NHS, the ONS said.
Women have always lived longer than men, although the gap has been narrowing since the 1970s.
Female life expectancy at birth was 3.8 years higher than for men in 2011, compared to 2.0 years in 1841, the ONS.
The gap was smaller in the mid-19th century in part due to diseases and high infant mortality.
The state pension age was 70 when it was introduced in 1908, when women could expect to live for another 9.3 years and men 9 years
Men are now living longer than in the past thanks to improved safety at work and the decline of diseases like TB, which affected men more than women.
The ONS said that the rising levels of life expectancy raise questions about how long our pensions will last.
The state pension age was 70 when it was introduced in 1908, when women could expect to live for another 9.3 years and men 9 years.
However, the state pension age has since fallen to 65 for men and will hit 65 for women by November 2018.
At the same time life expectancy means both men and women can expect to live for another 20 years after retiring.
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