Health & population

Understanding more about the population and health landscape of the Midlands supports the ground breaking work that will help address the region’s health inequalities.

• The usual resident population in the Midlands Engine area was 10,371,800 on Census Day 2021 (21 March), an increase of 6.2% (+601,621) when compared with Census Day 2011. England-wide the population increased by 6.6% to 56,489,800 on Census Day 2021.
• The 2011 Census shows that 14.4% of the population was classed as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), similar to the England average of 14.6%.
• 24.8% (1,500 LSOAs) of the Midlands Engine is classed as deprived (in the top 20% of the most deprived areas in England).
• The average life expectancy at birth in Midlands Engine was 79.2 years for men and 82.9 years for women in 2018-2020. When compared to the UK, the Midlands Engine area was 0.2 years higher for males and matched the UK for life expectancy in females.
• Healthy life expectancy is the average number of years that an individual is expected to live in a state of self-assessed good or very good health. In 2018-20, average healthy life expectancy for females was 61.4 years in Midlands Engine, 2.5 years below the England average of 63.9 years. Average healthy life expectancy for males was 61.5 years in Midlands Engine, 1.6 years below the 63.1 years for England.