This annual publication presents a comprehensive analysis of health inequality gaps between the most and least deprived areas of NI, and within health and social care (HSC) trust and local government district (LGD) areas. The report is accompanied by downloadable data tables which contain all figures including district electoral areas (DEA) as well as urban and rural breakdowns.

Also, Health inequalities annual report 2025 – interactive dashboard (HTML)

Key findings - regional (NI)
• Deprivation gaps for male and female life expectancies at birth saw no change since 2017-19 with the most-least deprivation gaps stood at 7.3 years for males and 5.2 years for females in 2021-23. Following a downward trend in male and female life expectancies between 2017-19 and 2020-22 in NI and the most and least deprived areas, estimates have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• Inequality gaps narrowed for both male and female disability-free life expectancies (DFLE) following improvements in the most deprived areas. While the inequality gap for female healthy life expectancy (HLE) narrowed since 2017-19, there was no change in the gap for males, with the most-least deprived gaps in HLE stood at 13.6 years for males and 14.0 years for females in 2021-23.
• Large inequality gaps continue to highlight markedly higher rates of premature mortality in the most deprived areas, with no changes in any of the inequality gaps analysed over the period. There were improvements observed across all areas for treatable mortality. The opposite was true for preventable mortality worsened over the period regionally, and in the most and least deprived areas.
• The rate of respiratory deaths in the most deprived areas among persons aged under 75 years was almost three and a half times the rate in the least deprived areas.
• Large inequality gaps continue to exist for mental health indicators. Prescription rates for mood and anxiety disorders increased regionally and for the most & least deprived areas between 2019 and 2023, with the rate in the most deprived areas two-thirds higher than in the least deprived areas.
• In 2021-23 the suicide mortality rate in the most deprived areas was almost three times the rate observed in the least deprived areas, with the gap widening over the analysed period.
• 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.
• While improvements in smoking in pregnancy and the under 20 teenage birth rate were seen within all areas during the analysed period, the most-least deprived inequality gaps are still among the highest across all HSCIMS indicators. The rate of smoking in pregnancy in the most deprived areas was over six times the rate in the least deprived areas in 2023, representing a widening of the inequality gap.
• In 2023/24 the percentage of year 8 pupils in the most deprived areas affected by obesity was more than double that in the least deprived areas.

Chapters:

Mental health p.28
Alcohol, smoking & drugs p.31