Imagine celebrating your 100th birthday, cake, candles and a telegram from the King. For babies born in the UK today, that future is more likely than ever.
Boys born in 2023 can expect to live to 86.7 years on average, while girls could reach 90, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics, which shows that life expectancy in the UK continues to climb.
ONS projections also show that more than one in 10 boys and one in six girls will live to 100.
By 2047, those chances jump even higher, one in four girls and nearly one in five boys could hit the century mark, the statistics agency said.
By 2072, the difference between life expectancy is expected to narrow to just 2.5 years, it added.
The gap between male and female life expectancy is also shrinking, according to the data published today.
Men are living longer thanks to healthier lifestyles, improved working conditions, and medical breakthroughs, particularly in heart disease treatment.