This report follows on from the second update bulletin of the Health and Social Care Inequalities Monitoring System (HSCIMS) which was published in October 2007. Despite increases in life expectancy across all areas, the differential (or gap) between life expectancy estimates for those living in the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland compared with the overall NI average has changed little between 1999-01 and 2004-06. Similarly, the gap in life expectancy between those living in rural areas and NI as a whole has also remained fairly steady over the period. However, the same causes of death are not responsible for maintaining these gaps.

Both this report and the Health and Social Care Inequalities Monitoring System reports are published on the Departmental website.