The improvement means boys born in Britain between 2007 and 2009 can expect to reach the age of 78, while girls are likely to live just past their 82nd birthday - a difference of four years.

Almost 10 years ago, the gap in life expectancy was nearly five years, with boys expecting to live to 75.3 while girls were likely to reach 80.1.

The Department of Health statistics show male life expectancy has increased by 3.7 percent since 1998-2000 compared with a 2.5 percent increase in female life expectancy, reports the Daily Mail.

Mortality rates in Britain also fell in 2007-2009, with death rates dropping by more than 22 percent in men and almost 18 percent in women.

The figures showed fewer people under the age of 75 died from cancer between 2007 and 2009 compared with 10 years ago, while the number of deaths from circulatory diseases including strokes almost halved in both men and women.