Women in the North of England are more likely to be an unpaid carer than women in other regions of England, a new report on regional inequalities has revealed.

Women in the North contribute £10bn of unpaid care to the economy each year – £2bn a year more than if they provided the national average of unpaid care, according to a new study by Health Equity North.

One in five women aged 55-59 in the North of England provides care to a family member because of illness, disability, mental illness or substance use.

Woman of the North: Inequality, health and work also finds that women living in the North have lower healthy life expectancy, fewer qualifications, and worse mental health.

They are also more likely to suffer domestic violence or to end up in the criminal justice system than their counterparts in the rest of England.

Hannah Davies, executive director at Health Equity North, said: ‘Our report provides damning evidence of how women in the North are being failed across the whole span of their lives.

‘Over the last 10 years, women in the North have been falling behind their counterparts in the rest of country, both in terms of the wider determinants of health and, consequently, inequalities in their health.’

Dr Luke Munford, academic co-director at Health Equity North, and health economist from the University of Manchester, said: ‘Women across northern regions have heavy burdens placed on them – they work longer hours and are paid less, and they provide some of the highest levels of unpaid care for their loved ones. But all too often, this can come at a price as we can see in the health outcomes detailed in this research.’