EAST Renfrewshire has one of the highest life expectancies for men and women anywhere in Scotland, according to a new report.

Women ranked second and men ranked third out of all 32 Scottish council areas for the longest length of time those born over the period 2019 to 2021 can expect to live.

The latest figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that life expectancy in East Renfrewshire is 83.8 years for women and 79.4 for men.

However, life expectancy in the region has fallen, following a trend also seen across Scotland as a whole.

The new report said the Covid-19 pandemic is responsible for the “majority” of the decrease, with drug deaths also contributing to this latest drop.

Meanwhile, the difference in life expectancy for those living in deprived areas compared to those in more affluent communities is growing.

Life expectancy was highest in the Orkney Islands and lowest in Glasgow, for both males and females, from 2019 to 2021.

The latest figures also show that 25 of Scotland’s 32 council areas have seen male life expectancy decrease since 2012 to 2014, with 21 council areas having seen a fall in female life expectancy over the same period.

Age Scotland has expressed concerns about the steady decline in overall life expectancy.

Brian Sloan, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow older but, given that we have a rapidly ageing population but the lowest life expectancy of all UK countries, there is still a long way to go.

“Reducing health inequalities and poverty and further investment in our nation’s health and social care is vital to making Scotland a better, healthier place for everyone, regardless of where they live.”

Public health minister Maree Todd said the Scottish Government is using all of the powers at its disposal to tackle poverty and inequality.

She added: “We have taken action to address these issues, such as investing almost £3billion in a range of measures for households, supporting energy bills, as well as social security payments that are either not available anywhere else in the UK or are more generous, such as the Scottish Child Payment.”