2026 Wales Report
The Real Face of Men's Health: Wales Report
Too many men in Wales are dying younger than they should, and Movember is calling for change.
In 2024, 6,793 men in Wales died before reaching their 75th birthday, representing more than one in three male deaths. Our new report calls on the Welsh Government to develop Wales' first Men's Health Plan.
The Real Face of Men's Health – Wales Report 2026 was launched at the Senedd in Cardiff, alongside Movember ambassador and broadcaster Matt Johnson, former Wales international footballer and men's health campaigner John Hartson, and Caroline Ellis, CEO of the UK Men's Sheds Association.
The findings
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The cost to Wales
- New HealthLumen analysis, commissioned by Movember, estimates the cost to Wales of five conditions, coronary heart disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and stroke, at approximately £1.35 billion a year, the conditions responsible for the most years of life lost in men
- That breaks down as £402 million in direct costs, covering medical care and treatment, and £948 million in indirect costs, including productivity lost to premature death and illness and the burden carried by informal carers
- £1 in every £33 spent from the Welsh Government's health budget goes on these five conditions, in men
Men in the most disadvantaged communities in Wales can expect to live 7.5 years less than those in the most advantaged.
A brighter picture
Wales is not starting from scratch. Many organisations and communities are already showing what effective support for men and boys can look like, building trust by meeting men where they already are, and making it easier to talk about their health and seek support early.
- Movember's Ahead of the Game programme
- The UK Men's Sheds Association
- Helpu
- For Dads, By Dads
But successful initiatives like these often remain fragmented, rather than forming part of a joined-up national approach.
"Men's Sheds show every day what can happen when people are able to create spaces where men feel comfortable. Someone might come through the door to make something, learn a skill or have a cup of tea, but they also find friendship, purpose and people they can talk to. If we want to improve men's health, we need to meet men where they are. Community spaces like Men's Sheds can reach men long before they would ever think about walking into a health service, and that early connection can make a real difference."
From the margins to the mainstream
Wales has already recognised the value of gender-responsive action through the NHS Wales Women’s Health Plan 2025–2035. Movember is calling for that to be complemented by a dedicated plan for men and boys.
A Men’s Health Plan would not replace or compete with existing strategies. It would bring action on men’s health together through a clear gender-informed lens, moving men’s health from the margins of policy into the mainstream of prevention, equality and health-service reform.
Wales would not be acting alone. Ireland, Australia, Brazil and England have already introduced dedicated national action on men’s health, and Canada is developing its first men and boys’ health strategy.
"Wales can learn from what has worked elsewhere, but men here face their own challenges, shaped by where they live, work and access support. That is why Wales needs a Men's Health Plan designed specifically around the needs of men and communities here."
A man living in Wales is more likely to receive an incurable prostate cancer diagnosis than a man in London.
"This report has been a long time coming, and we welcome it. But at Helpu, we're less interested in promises and much more interested in results. Like many of the grassroots organisations highlighted in this report, Helpu relies on community, connection and volunteers to reach men where they are. That work needs proper, long-term investment and to be supported alongside statutory services, not left to fill the gaps. This report gives us an opportunity to turn words into action. We've had enough promises. Now we need results."
"I know from my own life how easy it can be for men to ignore what is going on with their health until things become serious. Whether it is cancer, mental health or addiction, getting the right support at the right time can change and save lives. We also know that some of the best conversations with men happen away from traditional health settings, through sport, workplaces and communities. Wales has brilliant organisations already doing this work. A Men's Health Plan could help make sure that support reaches many more men before they get to crisis point."
Explore more country reports
See how the state of men's health compares across the world.
