Deaths registered in England and Wales

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), series Number of deaths registered, England and Wales, all ages. Annual. A first summary (Death registration summary statistics) appears in late May and the full release in the autumn; the 2025 full release was published on 25 September 2026. The .xlsx file name changes each year

What it measures

This is the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in a calendar year, of residents and non-residents. It counts registrations, not the date of death: most deaths are registered within days, but deaths referred to a coroner can take months, so some deaths in one year are registered the next. The ONS publishes a separate count of deaths by date of occurrence. Alongside the count it publishes the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR), which adjusts for the size and age of the population and is the measure to use for trends. Scotland and Northern Ireland register deaths separately.

How to read it

A rising number of deaths can reflect a larger, older population rather than worse health, which is why the ONS headlines the age-standardised rate as well. In 2025 deaths rose 0.4% while the ASMR fell to 913 per 100,000, the lowest in the series. Registration delays and bank holidays shift deaths between years, so use the occurrence figures for close comparisons. For whether deaths were above the expected level, see excess deaths. Causes are coded from the death certificate, and the leading cause groups follow an ONS list rather than single conditions.

Background

The ONS series of registered deaths and mortality rates on the current basis starts in 1994, when 551,780 deaths were registered in England and Wales. Deaths rose sharply in 2020 during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; the 2025 total of 570,988 was 6.1% lower than that peak, and 0.4% higher than 2024 (568,613). Dementia and Alzheimer's disease has been the leading cause since 2022 and accounted for 72,272 registrations (12.7%) in 2025. The ONS also reported that 567,608 deaths occurred in 2024 and were registered by the end of March 2026.

Other parts of the UK

National Records of Scotland: deaths time series data · NISRA: deaths in Northern Ireland · ONS: death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2025

How many people died in England and Wales in 2025?

The ONS reported 570,988 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2025, up 0.4% from 568,613 in 2024. The age-standardised mortality rate was 913 deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest since the series began in 1994. The figures count deaths registered in the year, not deaths that occurred in it.

How many people die in the UK each year?

Add the ONS figure for England and Wales to the totals from National Records of Scotland and NISRA. For 2024 the ONS life tables release quoted 568,613 deaths in England and Wales, 62,291 in Scotland and 18,050 in Northern Ireland. Use figures for the same year and the same basis (registrations or occurrences).

How many people die in the UK per day?

Dividing the 2025 England and Wales total of 570,988 by 365 gives an average of about 1,560 registrations a day, but this is an average, not a daily count. Registrations dip at weekends and bank holidays and peak in winter. For more timely provisional counts, check the ONS deaths page for its latest releases.

What is the most common cause of death in England and Wales?

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease was the leading cause of death registered in 2025, with 72,272 deaths (12.7%). It has been the leading cause since 2022. The ONS ranks causes using a set list of groupings, so heart disease and cancers are split into several categories.

Why are deaths counted by date of registration?

Registration is the legal record of a death, so registrations are complete and quickly available. A death referred to a coroner may be registered months later. The ONS therefore also publishes deaths by date of occurrence once most late registrations are in, which gives a better picture of when deaths happened.

Related questions

• How many people die in the UK each year?
• What is the leading cause of death in the UK?
• What are excess deaths?
• What is the life expectancy in the UK?
• How many Covid deaths were there in the UK?

More on this source: UK deaths, life expectancy and public health statistics (ONS, OHID, UKHSA, NRS, NISRA)