This article examines the magnitude of inequalities in health by area deprivation using two composite indices of health expectancy, one based on a subjective assessment of general health status (healthy life expectancy) and the second on reported limiting longstanding illness (disability-free life expectancy). Trends in healthy life expectancy by deprivation for the period 1994-1999 were also examined. Results show that males and females living in the most deprived wards spend twice as many years in poor health, both in absolute (years of life) and relative (proportion of life) terms, than those living in the least deprived wards. There was no change in the healthy life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived areas over the study period.