We will take a detailed look at socio-economic variation in mortality across England. We analyse all-cause mortality at neighbourhood level with mortality rates linked to a number of socio-economic predictive variables that determine the character of a neighbourhood.

The predictive variables along with mortality outcomes are analysed using machine learning techniques, with the resulting output being the Longevity Index for England (LIFE). The LIFE index significantly outperforms commonly-used measures of deprivation as a predictor of mortality.

Amongst the predictive variables, income and employment deprivation are found to be key determinants of mortality, but also that urban-rural class and the presence of care homes in a neighbourhood have an important role to play in assessing underlying mortality rates relative to national mortality.