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UK health improvements to 2014 levels could lift GDP by 2%, report says
The Health Foundation estimates the change would add 2% to GDP and generate a £72bn dividend for public finances, citing higher labor force capacity and lower NHS and disability costs.
A new Health Foundation thinktank report argues that improving the UK population’s health back to 2014 levels could raise gross domestic product by 2% and deliver about £72bn to public finances. The report, published Sunday, frames health as an economic asset, saying a healthier labor force supports longer participation in employment and greater productivity.
The study notes that “healthy life expectancy” fell by two years over the decade to 2022 to 2024, and says the UK is among only five of the world’s 21 richest countries to see such a deterioration. It also points to an increase in the number of working-age people with a long-term health condition, rising from 11.7 million to 15.7 million.
According to the report’s modeling, reducing ill health to 2014 levels could increase economic output by £57bn. It ties the economic burden to both higher spending, including on the NHS and disability benefits, and the broader costs of lost tax revenue and output when sickness limits working.
The Health Foundation says its approach would shift policymakers toward prevention and public health measures alongside treatment. It references Labor’s focus on repairing the NHS, including promises to cut waiting lists, while arguing that valuing health as an asset could change how policy priorities are set.