Deprivation linked to poorer health outcomes across Northern Ireland

Date published: 25 March 2026

New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Health present the Health Inequalities Annual Report 2026, a product of the NI Health and Social Care Inequalities Monitoring System (HSCIMS).

Regional findings

• The gap in female life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas widened by 0.5 years, from 5.0 years (2018–20) to 5.5 years (2022–24). The male life expectancy gap showed no significant change but remained high at 7.2 years in 2022–24.
• Self-assessed good or very good general health decreased across all areas over the last five years, with the deprivation gap widening. The inequality gap for male healthy life expectancy widened to 14.9 years, driven by a decrease of 4.5 years in the most deprived areas. Female healthy life expectancy fell by 1.9 years across Northern Ireland, with the most-least deprived inequality gap remaining high at 14.6 years.
• Large inequality gaps continue to highlight markedly higher rates of premature death in the most deprived areas. Gaps widened over the period for five of the eight premature mortality indicators analysed, including avoidable and preventable mortality. An exception was under-75 respiratory mortality, where an improvement in the most deprived areas narrowed the gap, though the rate there remains around three and a half times that of the least deprived areas, the largest gap of all premature mortality indicators.
• The suicide rate inequality gap widened over the analysed period, with the rate in the most deprived areas now treble that of the least deprived areas.
• Drug misuse deaths showed the largest regional inequality gap, with mortality in the most deprived areas almost six times that of the least deprived areas and the gap continued to widen over the period.
• In 2024/25, the obesity rate among Primary 1 pupils in the most deprived areas was 73% higher than in the least deprived areas. For Year 8 pupils, the gap was slightly wider at 87%.
• In 2024/25, the dental extraction inequality gap narrowed, though rates in the most deprived areas remained more than double those in the least deprived areas. Inequality gaps widened for the majority of other dental indicators over the analysed period.

Sub-regional findings

• Male and female life expectancy were lowest in Belfast Local Government District (LGD), at 76.5 and 80.5 years respectively. The highest male life expectancy was in Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD (80.5 years); the highest female life expectancy was in Lisburn & Castlereagh and Fermanagh & Omagh LGDs (both 83.8 years).
• The largest male life expectancy inequality gap was in Mid & East Antrim LGD, at 6.6 years between the 20% most deprived areas and the LGD average. The largest female gap was within the Belfast Trust area (4.7 years).
• Drug misuse mortality was the largest inequality gap in the Belfast, Northern and Western HSC Trusts, where death rates in the most deprived areas were approximately two and a half times the respective Trust averages (gaps of 132%, 124% and 130%).
• Drug related admissions was the largest inequality gap in the Southern Trust, and the under-20 teenage birth rate showed the largest gap in the South Eastern Trust.
• Drug related admissions featured in the top five inequality gaps in ten of the eleven LGDs. In Mid & East Antrim LGD, the rate in the most deprived areas was two and a half times the LGD average (a gap of 149%).
• Alcohol related admission rates in the most deprived areas were around double the Trust or LGD average in Belfast Trust, Southern Trust, Western Trust, and five LGDs including Belfast, Derry City & Strabane, and Lisburn & Castlereagh.
• 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.

About the publication

The report presents a comprehensive analysis of health inequality gaps between the most and least deprived areas of Northern Ireland, and within Health and Social Care Trust and Local Government District areas across 70 health indicators. Inequalities are measured between the 20% most and 20% least deprived areas, defined using the 2017 Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure. 

Note: Some hospital admissions figures for 2023/24 and 2024/25 include data from the new Encompass electronic patient record system and are classified as official statistics in development. These figures should be used with appropriate caution.

Further information

View the interactive dashboard: Health Inequalities Annual Report 2026 – Interactive Dashboard (HTML)

Read the full report and see background information and data tables: Health inequalities annual report 2026