But the number of elderly men is rising faster than that of elderly women.

In the East Midlands, projections indicate there will be 90 per cent more men aged 65 and over by 2031, compared to 69 per cent more women. In the East region the figures are 83 and 66 per cent respectively.

Dr Ian Banks, a GP and president of the Men's Health Forum, said Britain was starting to see the effects of a "cultural change" in male health, particularly in richer areas.

Better off men were now more likely to go to the doctor than before, much less likely to smoke and more likely to continue taking exercise as they got older.

"Men are starting to get the message," he said.

"Part of the reason is Viagra," he added. "Prior to its launch in 1999 there was no such thing as 'men's health' on the agenda. Now there is."

The perceived truth that women naturally lived longer than men was "flawed", he said.

"The life expectancy gap in Richmond, west London, between men and women is really very close," he noted.

However, he warned that in poorer areas the gender gap was widening: in west Glasgow men's life expectancy was about 78, while in east Glasgow it was 54.

Prof Kay-Tee Khaw, from Cambridge University's Clinical Gerontology Unit, said more elderly men could have implications for residential care.

"Maybe there will be more couples living together," she said.

It could also mean more people spend longer in their own homes, as she said there was "a lot of evidence that couple living together are better at maintaining their independence."

The Regional Trends report also highlighted stark differences between the wealth of older people across Britain.

In London and much of northern England more than one is seven people over 60 lives in a deprived area, compared to only one in 50 across the south. Thousands of retired couples migrate to the South West every year, it also found.