Health expectancy is a summary measure of population health that combines both non-fatal and fatal health outcomes into a single metric. Health expectancy indicators have the potential to assess how many gained years of life expectancy are spent in good health and free from functional limitations.
This publication is the first report on health expectancy as Tier 1 statistic. The report operationalises health expectancy as independent life expectancy, which is defined as the average number of years expected to be lived free of functional limitations or with functional limitations without needing assistance.
The report summarises key facts, independent life expectancy at birth and at age 65, and trends from 1996 to 2013 by sex and ethnicity (Māori and non- Māori).