That age was 11 years less than in top-ranked local authority Kensington and Chelsea where men live to 80.8 years and women a further five years.

Of the lowest 10 local authorities, seven were in Scotland. The others were Manchester, Blackpool and Liverpool.

Glasgow City was the only authority with a male age expectancy of under 70.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the figures were taken from a three-year average based on deaths and population information for 2002-2004.

HIGHEST LIFE EXPECTANCY MEN Kensington and Chelsea 80.8 East Dorset 80.8 Hart 80.1 WOMEN Kensington and Chelsea 85.8 Epson and Ewell 84.2 Rutland 84 From local authority data

The South West, South East and East of England continued to have the highest life expectancy.

The New Policy Institute, which analyses poverty statistics, said Scotland's low expectancy was well known.

"Everyone agrees that there is something called the 'Scottish effect' - where you are more likely to die young if you live in Scotland," said director Guy Palmer.

"But the causes of it are not at all clear," he told BBC News.

He said the majority opinion was that lifestyle contributed, as the main killer diseases were lung cancer and heart disease, caused by smoking and lack of exercise.

LOWEST LIFE EXPECTANCY MEN Glasgow City 69.3 Inverclyde 70.3 West Dunbartonshire 70.7 WOMEN Glasgow City 76.4 North Lanarkshire 77.4 West Dunbartonshire 77.6 From local authority data

He said life expectancy in Scotland had been low for about the past 10 years, and although it had improved, so had the life expectancy in Kensington and Chelsea.

Social class could also contribute as a man was twice as likely to die from heart disease and lung cancer if he came from a manual background compared with a non-manual background.

"So, Glasgow has both options - it's in Scotland and its working class, while Kensington has the best of both options," Mr Palmer said.

But even in Glasgow, girls born in 2004 could expect to live longer than boys, National Statistics said.

On average across the UK, girls would live to 81, four years longer than boys.