Summary
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Our people and place
In 2022, the estimated population in Medway was 282,702.
The number of live births was 3,293, and the number of deaths from all causes was 2,427.
In 2018 to 2020, the overall life expectancy was 78 years for males and 82 years for females.
Healthy life expectancy was 61 years for males, and 64 years for females.
Medway covers a total area of 19,200 hectares and has 5 main towns:
- Gillingham
- Rochester
- Chatham
- Rainham
- Strood.
Medway has a total of 37 neighbourhoods ranked in the 20% most deprived areas nationally, 14 of the neighbourhoods are in the 10% most deprived areas nationally in 2019.
In Medway in 2023 the median gross annual pay of a full-time employee was £35,800.
There were also approximately 8,815 businesses in Medway.
Our health and wellbeing
In 2022 to 2023, 2 out of 3 adults were considered obese or overweight.
In 2017, it was estimated that 38,260 people in Medway were living with a common mental health disorder.
In 2022, 9% of adults in Medway smoked.
In 2020 to 2022 there were 2,880 premature deaths, which is worse compared to England. Premature deaths are deaths under the age of 75 years.
Cancer is a major cause of premature death. Cancer accounts for 37% of premature deaths in females and 29% of premature deaths in males.
Cardiovascular diseases are the next largest cause of premature death. Cardiovascular diseases account for 16% of premature deaths in females and 25% of premature deaths in males.
Our health inequalities
Life expectancy in Medway is worse than the England average.
In Medway, there is a gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived deciles.
The main contributors to this gap are circularity disease, cancer, and respiratory disease.
In males, there is a 9 year gap in life expectancy between those living in the most deprived areas (73 years) and those living in the least deprived areas (82 years).
In females, there is a 7 year gap in life expectancy between those living in the most deprived areas (79 years) and those living in the least deprived areas (86 years).
The gap in life expectancy has widened since 2011 to 2013.