Infographics summary
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Our people and place
In 2024, the estimated population in Medway was 292,655.
The number of live births was 3,138, and the number of deaths from all causes was 2,514.
In 2022 to 2024, the overall life expectancy was 79 years for males and 83 for females.
Healthy life expectancy was 59 for males and 60 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, and 15 of the neighbourhoods are in the 10% most deprived areas nationally in 2025.
In Medway in 2024 the median gross annual pay of a full-time employee was £38,329. There were also approximately 8,915 businesses in Medway.
Our health and wellbeing
In 2024 to 2025, 2 out of 3 adults were considered obese or overweight.
In 2022 to 2023, 23.6% of residents (16+) reported high levels of anxiety.
In 2024, 11% of adults in Medway smoked.
In 2023 to 2025 there were 2,677 premature deaths which is worse compared to England. Premature deaths are deaths under the age of 75 years.
Cancer is the cause of 40% of premature deaths in females and 31% of males.
Cardiovascular diseases are the next largest cause of premature death. Cardiovascular diseases are the cause of 17% of premature deaths in females and 27% of premature deaths in males.
Our health inequalities
From 2022 to 2024 life expectancy in Medway was 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 circulatory disease, cancer and respiratory disease.
In males, there is a 10 year gap in life expectancy between those living in the most deprived areas (73 years), and those living in the least deprived areas (83 years).
In females, there is a 10 year gap in life expectancy between those living in the most deprived areas (77 years), and those living in the least deprived areas (87 years).
The gap in life expectancy has widened since 2012 to 2014.