Health Inequalities Annual Report 2026

Date published: 25 March 2026

This publication presents a comprehensive analysis of health inequality gaps between the most and least deprived areas of NI, and sub-regional gaps within Health & Social Care (HSC) Trust and Local Government District (LGD) areas across a range of health indicators.

Key Findings - Regional

• The most-least deprived gap in female life expectancy widened by 0.5 years, from 5.0 years in 2018-20 to 5.5 years in 2022-24. While there was no significant change in the deprivation gap for male life expectancy over the analysed period, it remained high at 7.2 years in 2022-24.
• The rate of self-assessed good/very good general health decreased over the last five years in all areas and the most-least deprived gap widened. The inequality gap for male healthy life expectancy also widened to 14.9 years over the analysed period due to a decrease of 4.5 years in the most deprived areas.
• While female healthy life expectancy decreased by 1.9 years in NI, there were no observed changes in the most or least deprived areas, however the inequality gap between the most and least deprived areas remained high, at 14.6 years.
• Large inequality gaps continue to highlight markedly higher rates of premature mortality in the most deprived areas, with the gap between the most and least deprived areas widening over the period for five of the eight indicators analysed. Gaps widened for avoidable and preventable mortality where death rates increased for NI and in its most deprived areas.
• For under 75 respiratory mortality there was a narrowing of the gap due to an observed improvement in the most deprived areas. Despite this improvement, the inequality gap remains the highest of all premature mortality indicators where the rate in the most deprived areas was around three and a half times the rate in the most deprived areas.
• Large inequality gaps continue to exist for mental health indicators. The inequality gap in the suicide rate widened over the analysed period with the rate in the most deprived areas now treble the rate in the least deprived areas.
• Alcohol and drug related indicators continue to show some of the largest health inequalities monitored in NI. The deprivation gap for drug misuse deaths widened over the analysed period and showed the largest inequality gap, with mortality in the most deprived areas almost six times that of the least deprived.
• In 2024/25 the percentage of primary 1 pupils affected by obesity in the most deprived areas was 73% higher than the rate in the least deprived areas. For year 8 pupils, the most-least deprived gap was slightly wider at 87%.
• In 2024/25, the most-least deprived inequality gap for dental extractions for all ages narrowed however the rate in the most deprived areas was still more than double that in the least deprived areas. With the exception of dental registration rates, inequality gaps widened over the analysed period for the remaining dental indicators.

Key Findings - Sub-Regional

• Male and female life expectancies were lowest in the Belfast LGD (76.5 years and 80.5 years respectively). Male life expectancy was highest in Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD (80.5 years), and female life expectancy was highest in Lisburn & Castlereagh and Fermanagh & Omagh LGDs (83.8 years).
• The largest inequality gap in male life expectancy was seen in Mid & East Antrim LGD where the gap between the 20% most deprived areas and the LGD average stood at 6.6 years. The largest gap for females was seen within the Belfast Trust area (4.7 years).
• Similar to the regional picture, deprivation related inequality was most prominent in indicators relating to alcohol, drugs, self-harm, smoking during pregnancy and teenage births, which were among the largest inequality gaps for the majority of Trusts and LGDs.
• Drug misuse mortality was the largest inequality gap in Belfast, Northern and Western HSC Trusts, where the rates in their most deprived areas were almost two and a half times (132%, 124% and 130%) their respective Trust averages. Drug related admissions was the largest inequality gap in the and Southern Trust, while the teenage birth rate showed the largest gap in the South Eastern Trust.
• With the exception of Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD, drug related admissions was among the top five inequality gaps within all eleven LGDs. In the Mid & East Antrim LGD, the rate of drug related admissions within the 20% most deprived areas, was two and a half times (inequality gap of 149%) the LGD average.
• Large inequality gaps for alcohol related admissions also exist in the majority of Trusts and LGDs. The rates in the respective most deprived areas for the Belfast Trust, Southern Trust, Western Trust, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon LGD, Belfast LGD, Derry City & Strabane LGD, Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD and Mid & East Antrim LGD were around double the Trust/LGD average.
• Alcohol specific mortality showed the largest inequality gap (97%) in the Causeway Coast and Glens LGD, where the death rate in the most deprived areas was around double the LGD average.
• The under 20 teenage birth rate was the largest inequality gap in the Antrim & Newtownabbey (123%) and Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (133%) LGDs.
• Smoking during pregnancy showed the largest inequality gap in Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD (195%) where the rate in the most deprived areas was around treble the LGD average.