Inequalities in the association between access to green space and life expectancy in England
File(s)
Published version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Pinho-Gomes, Ana Catarina
Kartyka-Sembiring, Lea
Mullins, Edward
Woodward, Mark
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Evidence has been accruing on the impact of green space on population health. However, evidence is lacking for England. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate inequalities in access to green space and its association with life expectancy in England.
Methods
We extracted Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) for 2021-2025, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019, and life expectancy in England for 2022-2024. We checked the correlation between neighbourhood greenness and deprivation, rurality, and ethnicity. We used linear regression to estimate the association between NDVI and FVC and IMD and life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth for women and men. Subgroup analysis by IMD decile, urbanicity, and ethnicity was undertaken.
Results
Across England, the median NDVI was 0.504 [IQR 0.424, 0.592] and the median FVC was 0.312 [IQR 0.207, 0.451]. There were significant inequalities in neighbourhood greenness, with higher values in less deprived and rural areas. Areas inhabited by a larger proportion of minority ethnic groups had, on average, less green space than those inhabited by White British groups. Pairwise correlations also showed that neighbourhood greenness was positively albeit modestly correlated with both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (r = 0.19 for NDVI and life expectancy and r = 0.27 for NDVI and healthy life expectancy). NDVI and FVC were associated with longer life expectancy, but this association seemed to be substantially accounted for by deprivation and, to a lesser extent, urbanicity.
Conclusions
There are significant inequalities in neighbourhood greenness in England. Urban, deprived areas with larger proportion of minority ethnic groups appear to have less green space than rural, affluent, mostly White areas. Women and men living in greener neighbourhoods seem to live longer but this is largely explained by socioeconomic deprivation.
Evidence has been accruing on the impact of green space on population health. However, evidence is lacking for England. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate inequalities in access to green space and its association with life expectancy in England.
Methods
We extracted Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) for 2021-2025, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019, and life expectancy in England for 2022-2024. We checked the correlation between neighbourhood greenness and deprivation, rurality, and ethnicity. We used linear regression to estimate the association between NDVI and FVC and IMD and life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth for women and men. Subgroup analysis by IMD decile, urbanicity, and ethnicity was undertaken.
Results
Across England, the median NDVI was 0.504 [IQR 0.424, 0.592] and the median FVC was 0.312 [IQR 0.207, 0.451]. There were significant inequalities in neighbourhood greenness, with higher values in less deprived and rural areas. Areas inhabited by a larger proportion of minority ethnic groups had, on average, less green space than those inhabited by White British groups. Pairwise correlations also showed that neighbourhood greenness was positively albeit modestly correlated with both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (r = 0.19 for NDVI and life expectancy and r = 0.27 for NDVI and healthy life expectancy). NDVI and FVC were associated with longer life expectancy, but this association seemed to be substantially accounted for by deprivation and, to a lesser extent, urbanicity.
Conclusions
There are significant inequalities in neighbourhood greenness in England. Urban, deprived areas with larger proportion of minority ethnic groups appear to have less green space than rural, affluent, mostly White areas. Women and men living in greener neighbourhoods seem to live longer but this is largely explained by socioeconomic deprivation.
Date Issued
2026-10-01
Date Acceptance
2026-07-27
Citation
Environmental Advances, 2026, 25
ISSN
2666-7657
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Environmental Advances
Volume
25
Copyright Statement
© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.envadv.2026.100743
Publication Status
Submitted
Article Number
100743
Date Publish Online
2026-07-27