INVERCLYDE'S life expectancy rate has worsened as stark statistics show that the widening gap between rich and poor can result in people dying 13 years earlier in deprived areas.

The district has just recorded the greatest drop in average life expectancy for the whole of Scotland.

The grim statistics have sparked an urgent call for a wide-ranging investigation to finally tackle the causes head-on.

Official figures show that a baby girl here now is expected to live 1.7 years less than the level of just five years ago.

For boys, life expectancy has dropped by 0.6 years.

Average life expectancy at birth in the country has been confirmed as 77.1 years for men and 81.1 years for women for those born between 2017-19.

But in Inverclyde, with central Greenock the most deprived part of the country, it is just 74.9 years for men and 79 years for women — fully two years less than the national rate.

In affluent areas of the district, such as Kilmacolm, the gap in life expectancy between there and poor communities is as wide as 13 years for men and 10 years for women.

Council leader Stephen McCabe today declared the figures a 'great concern'.

He has called on ministers and health chiefs to take immediate action and also demanded an in-depth report from Municipal Buildings officials so that all circumstances can be fully scrutinised.

Mr McCabe said: "The Scottish Government and public health authorities need to look behind these figures as a matter of urgency to determine the reasons for this trend and what action can be taken to improve life expectancy.

"I will be asking council officers to prepare a report so that councillors and the Inverclyde Alliance community planning partnership board can consider this issue too."

The latest data has been released by National Records of Scotland.

The leading cause of death for men in Inverclyde is heart disease and for women it is dementia and Alzheimer's

Figures for 2017-2019 show that deprivation has a huge impact on life expectancy.

Central Greenock has been recognised as the most deprived area in Scotland.

Cllr McCabe said: "It doesn't come as a surprise that life expectancy in Inverclyde is lower than the Scottish average, as that has consistently been the case, although it should be borne in mind that life expectancy will vary significantly within Inverclyde and there will be areas of the district where life expectancy is above the Scottish average.

"The NRS statistics show that there is a direct correlation between poverty and deprivation and low life expectancy, with less affluent areas like Glasgow and Inverclyde having the lowest levels of life expectancy and more affluent areas like East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire having higher life expectancy.

"Of greater concern is the drop in life expectancy."

MP Ronnie Cowan reacted to the report by renewing his call for a universal basic income.

Mr Cowan — who described the Inverclyde figures as 'terrible but not surprising' — said: "Poverty kills, it always has and until we address that core issue the poorest in society will die earlier.

"There are two main prongs to that. The first is job creation and in that we will compete with every other area across Scotland, the UK and further afield.

"The second is a social security system that is fit for purpose, which is why I have been promoting a universal basic income.

"If we had that then everybody benefits and nobody gets left behind."

MSP Stuart McMillan said: "The SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) 2020 statistics emphasised many of the challenges facing Inverclyde, and these life expectancy figures are no different, as we know that health inequalities and poverty impact people's quality of life.

"I also have concerns about the long-term impact of Covid-19 on people's physical and mental health, which over time may impact life expectancy figures.

"As we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, I hope Inverclyde Council, Inverclyde HSCP and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde will work together to improve people's health locally."

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National figures by local authority area:-

Angus - Men 78.3 Women 82.2

Argyll and Bute - Men 78.3 Women 81.7

Clackmannanshire - Men 78.6 Women 79.8

Dumfries and Galloway - Men 78.2 Women 81.4

Dundee - 73.9 Women 79

East Ayrshire - Men 75.9 Women 79.8

East Dunbartonshire - Men 80.5 Women 83.6

East Lothian - Men 79.1 Women 82.7

East Renfrewshire - Men 80.3 Women 84

Edinburgh - Men 78.3 Women 82.2

Falkirk - Men 77.3 Women 80.5

Fife - Men 77.3 Women 81.2

Glasgow - 73.6 Women 78.5

Highland - Men 77.8 Women 81.9

Inverclyde - Men 74.9 Women 79

Midlothian - Men 77.7 Women 81.5

Moray - Men 79.1 Women 81.5

Na h-Eileanan Siar - Men 77.8 Women 82.3

North Ayrshire - Men 76 Women 80

North Lanarkshire - Men 75.2 Women 79.6

Orkney - Men 79 Women 82.3

Perth and Kinross - 79 Women 83.3

Renfrewshire - 75.9 Women 80.7

Scottish Borders - Men 79.2 Women 81.9

Shetland - 80.2 Women 83.2

South Ayrshire - 77.3 Women 81.6

South Lanarkshire - Men 76.9 Women 81

Stirling - Men 78.3 Women 82.6

West Dunbartonshire - Men 75 Women 79.2

West Lothian - Men 77.9 Women 81