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Health and Wellbeing Topic Data

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Healthy life expectancy varies across the county. Health and wellbeing are influenced by a range of factors, including where people live, how they travel, diet, employment, and use of leisure time. These behaviours affect both physical and mental health and are often interconnected.

Nine areas in Dorset are within the top 20% most deprived for Health Deprivation in the latest Indices of Deprivation 2025, seven are in Weymouth and Portland, one in Dorchester and one in Bridport.

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Health

  • Healthy life expectancy shows how long people live in good health. In Dorset, there is a difference of 17 years between healthy life expectancy and overall life expectancy for men and 21 years for women. 1.
  • 62% of Dorset adults are overweight or obese—slightly better than the national average (65%), but still a major health concern.2.
  • 1 in 10 Dorset residents are unpaid carers—more than the national average3. That’s around 35,500 people providing vital support without pay.
  • On average, 10% of adults in Dorset smoke; however the rate rises to over 20% for certain social groups. This compares to 12% across England2.
22% of adults in Dorset are inactive

Mental health

  • The suicide rate in the Dorset area is currently similar to England at 12.8 per 100,000. The suicide rate is higher for males (20.1 per 100,000) than females (6 per 100,000)15.
  • National rates of probable mental health conditions have stabilised, affecting roughly 20% of children7.
  • A similar stabilising picture has been seen in national armed forces personnel, with 1 in 8 being seen in military healthcare for a mental health reason8.
  • In 2022-3, almost 5 million people were receiving talking therapies or secondary mental health services9.
Fewer Dorset residents report low levels of wellbeing than nationally

Major Health Conditions14

  • Cancer is a major cause of premature death. Early cancer diagnosis rates are lower in the most deprived areas, and cancer mortality in turn is significantly higher in the most deprived areas at 63 per 100,000 compared to 36 per 100,000.
  • Of Dorset’s 60+ population, 10% are frail (15,034), with 59% of these classed as having very high frailty. The rate of hip fractures in ages 65+ are significantly higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least at 593 per 100,000 compared to 502 per 100,000.
  • The number of people living with long-term conditions (LTCs) in Dorset is rising. In 2025, around 73,300 residents had one LTC, and over 150,000 were living with two or more.

Improving outcomes

  • A Movement for Movement - is a new social movement to help people living in Dorset to ‘sit a little less and move a little more’. Managed by Active Dorset - one of 42 regional Active Partnerships in England13.
  • NHS Health Checks are free midlife assessments for adults aged 40–74 that screen for risks like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and stroke, helping identify problems early and support lifestyle changes to improve long-term health outcomes.
  • Neighbourhood health approaches are important because they tailor support to local needs, reduce health inequalities, and bring services closer to communities—making prevention and care more effective and accessible.

Headline Figures

12,000

Dorset residents likely to be living with dementia by 2035

4,328

Domestic abuse incidents in Dorset last year

17 years

Difference between male healthy and overall life expectancy

32%

Dorset Year 6 children overweight or obese

62%

Dorset adults overweight or obese

12x

LiveWell Dorset’s return on prevention

Headline Figures

12,000

Dorset residents likely to be living with dementia by 2035

4,328

Domestic abuse incidents in Dorset last year

17 years

Difference between male healthy and overall life expectancy

32%

Dorset Year 6 children overweight or obese

62%

Dorset adults overweight or obese

12x

LiveWell Dorset’s return on prevention

Sources

  • 1 Healthy life expectancy & life expectancy at birth, Public Health Fingertips 2023
  • 2 Public Health Fingertips 2023/24 (3 year range)
  • 3 2021 Census, TS039
  • 5 POPPI 2024
  • 6 2023 Dementia Carers Count
  • 7 Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023 - wave 4 follow-up to the 2017 survey, NHS Digital
  • 8 UK armed forces mental health annual statistics: financial year 2023/24, Gov.UK
  • 9 Mental health statistics: prevalence, services and funding in England, UK Parliament, 2024
  • 10 Hospital admissions episodes for alcohol specific conditions, under 18s, Public Health Fingertips, 2023-2024
  • 11 Alcohol and drugs prevention, treatment and recovery: why invest?, Public Health England, 12/02/18
  • 12 Dorset Community Safety Partnership Performance Reporting, 2025
  • 13 Active Dorset
  • 14 Dorset Joint Strategic Needs Assessment November 2025, Public Health Dorset

36 Reports

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14 Related Datasets

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  • Births Deaths and Natural Change by Country and Local Authority

    Published: 08 December 2020

    Local Authority births, deaths and natural change from Mid-Years 2002 to 2019

    Downloads: 1065

    Download (Excel)

  • Data for EqIAs (diversity data)

    Published: 14 November 2020

    Various diversity data for Dorset with national comparators. For assistance in completing Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs).

    Downloads: 1232

    Download (Excel)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019- National and Dorset Council Ranks

    Published: 03 January 2020

    The English Indices of Deprivation helps identify and prioritise areas to assist the government and other agencies both national and local in narrowing the gap between deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.

    Downloads: 2689

    Download (Excel)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset East Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset East SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1726

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset West Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset West SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 2287

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Mid Dorset Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Mid Dorset SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1884

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - South East Dorset Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across South East Dorset SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 2318

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset North Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset North SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 2059

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset South Sub Unitary Geography (SUG) Maps

    Published: 11 December 2019

    This pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset South SUG area for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1596

    Download (PDF)

  • Indices of Deprivation 2019 - Dorset Council Maps

    Published: 25 November 2019

    The combined map base pdf illustrates national deprivation levels at a small geography across Dorset for 2019. There are sixteen maps which look at a range of components of deprivation including health, income, employment, education and skills, living environment, crime and barriers to housing and services. There is also a multiple deprivation (IMD) map that combines all these aspects of deprivation to give us an overall picture for Dorset. The document also has a number of maps that look at specific aspects (sub domains) such as deprivation affecting children and outdoor living environment.

    Downloads: 1326

    Download (PDF)

  • Local Area Interactive Tool

    Published: 28 February 2016

    An interactive spreadsheet for comparing data about children and young people across all local authorities in England. (external website)

    Downloads: 3745

    Download (Website)

  • Public Health Outcomes

    Published: 28 February 2016

    Find out about differences in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between communities. (external website)

    Downloads: 2124

    Download (Website)

  • POPPI: Projecting Older People Information

    Published: 28 July 2014

    A population based database providing information on older people (external website)

    Downloads: 6779

    Download (Website)

  • PANSI: Projecting Adult Needs and Service Information

    Published: 28 July 2014

    A population based database providing information on adults with special needs (external website)

    Downloads: 2611

    Download (Website)

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