People who live in Norfolk and Suffolk are expected to live at least a year longer than the national average, according to new data.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, show men in Norfolk have a life expectancy of 64.5, while in Suffolk it was 65.1. This compared to the average for England of 63.4.

For women in Norfolk, their life expectancy was 65.4 and 66.7 in Suffolk. The average for England was 64.1, but it meant whilst in both counties women were thought to live longer than men, both genders in Suffolk were expected to live longer than their Norfolk counterparts.

The proportion of people in each county who smoked was below the English average of 16.9pc, with 15.1pc of people in Norfolk and 16.1pc in Suffolk.

However in Norfolk the number of admissions to hospital for alcohol related was above the average for England, at 682.3 per 100,000 adults. The English average was 634.7.

In Suffolk, it was less at just 563.6 per 100,000 adults.

But both counties beat scores nationally for eating their five-a-day and the number of physically active adults.

In Norfolk, 59.8pc of people ate their five-a-day and 56.5pc of adults were physically active.

In Suffolk, 57.4pc of people made sure they had their fruit and vegetable intake, with psychical activity at 57.8pc.

The averages for England were 52.3pc of people for their five-a-day, and 57pc for physically active adults.