People in rich parts of the country enjoy healthy lives for nearly 20 years longer than those in poor areas.
Average ‘healthy life expectancy’ - the length of time until someone gets sick - is just 52 years for children in deprived parts of Britain, compared with 71 in rich areas.
Experts said the gulf is the same as between Canada and Botswana and shows the shocking inequality that blights modern Britain.
“The UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world,” raged Duncan Exley, director of Equality Trust.
“This is damaging our health, our social bonds and our economy.”
A separate study showed the situation is likely to get worse as the Government continues to target the poorest areas for the biggest funding cuts.
The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies said councils in the most deprived areas “have seen larger cuts” since 2010.
“London boroughs, the North East and the North West have seen the largest average cuts to spending per person,” the IFS said.
“London boroughs cut spending per person on average by 31.4%, while spending per person was cut by 26.5% in the North East and 25.7% in the North West.”
Nationally, the average cut was 23% - but some areas such as Tory North East Lincolnshire had a cut of just 6%.
And the IFS added: “Further cuts planned for 2015–16 will generally be focused on the same local authorities that have lost over the last five years.”
Town hall chiefs begged the Government to change tack.
David Sparks, chair of the Local Government Association, said: “No part of the public sector has faced bigger cuts to funding than councils during this Parliament.
“This has put many of the local services people value, like libraries, road maintenance and care for the elderly, in a fragile financial position.
“It will be vital for any future government to tackle the way councils are funded.”