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Causes of death and health conditions · Cancer

Bowel cancer deaths in the UK

The Office for National Statistics recorded 16,174 deaths in England and Wales in 2025 where the underlying cause was Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (ICD-10 C18 to C21). That was 104 more than in 2024 (16,070). It is the highest yearly figure since 2001.

England and Wales, 2025
16,174
deaths registered · ONS
Age-standardised rate, 2025
25.8
per 100,000 people · ONS
Scotland, 2024
1,902
deaths registered · NRS
Northern Ireland, 2024
517
deaths registered · NISRA

Deaths each year in England and Wales

16,17413,934 2001 2025
Deaths registered in England and Wales from Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus, 2001 to 2025. Office for National Statistics.

Taking account of the population's size and age, the ONS age-standardised death rate was 25.8 per 100,000 people in 2025, 7.2% lower than in 2013 (27.8). For men it was 31.3 and for women 21.4.

Men accounted for 8,738 of the 2025 deaths and women for 7,436.

Bowel cancer, C18 to C21: deaths registered in England and Wales; rate per 100,000 from 2013.
YearAllMenWomenAge-standardised rate
202516,1748,7387,43625.8
202416,0708,7417,32926.1
202315,9718,6167,35526.5
202215,7448,5697,17526.5
202115,3098,3346,97526.3
202015,4068,4096,99726.9
201915,3008,3036,99726.9
201814,8778,0436,83426.7
201714,9038,1616,74227.2
201614,6927,9366,75627.3
201514,4437,7886,65527.2
201414,2877,7186,56927.3
201314,2387,6696,56927.8
201214,4417,8416,600–
201114,0067,5786,428–
201014,1027,7006,402–
200913,9347,5596,375–
200814,2757,6966,579–
200714,0307,4176,613–
200614,0227,4726,550–
200514,1157,5746,541–
200414,1637,5676,596–
200314,0877,4986,589–
200214,2897,5496,740–
200114,1637,4846,679–

Age at death

Of the 16,174 deaths in 2025 with an age recorded, 60.0% were of people aged 75 or over; the largest number, 5,227, was in the 75 to 84 age group.

Deaths by age at death, England and Wales.
Age2025: all2025: men2025: women2001: all
Under 150000
15 to 44400206194223
45 to 642,8801,6651,2152,652
65 to 743,1941,8911,3033,669
75 to 845,2272,9002,3274,783
85 and over4,4732,0762,3972,836

Scotland

National Records of Scotland recorded 1,902 deaths from this cause in 2024 (997 men, 905 women).

Northern Ireland

NISRA's Registrar General figures give 517 deaths from this cause registered in Northern Ireland in 2024, against 428 in 2014.

Deaths registered in Northern Ireland. NISRA, Registrar General Annual Report, table 6.4b.
YearAllMenWomen
2024517281236
2023512266246
2022522279243
2021465254211
2020429221208
2019499271228
2018433250183
2017494263231
2016459230229
2015418225193
2014428207221

NHS figures for England

New cancer cases (England)

OHID's Fingertips tool reports 179,849 new cases registered in England over 2015 - 19 combined (indicator “Cancer incidence: colorectal cancer”).

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93236 (NHS England) · data read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256 f7ef70a75ab39258…

How the figures are defined

Each death is counted once, under its underlying cause: the disease or injury that started the chain of events leading to death, as certified by a doctor or coroner and coded by the ONS to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). This page uses the ONS grouping “Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus”, codes C18 to C21. Other conditions mentioned on a death certificate are not counted here.

The counting rules, the age-standardised rate and the ONS notes on changes in cause coding are described under how these figures are compiled.

Related answers

More in cancer

Sources and receipts

ONS mortality extracts for codes C18 to C21, with SHA-256 fingerprints; the ONS, NRS and NISRA workbooks are listed with the other sources.

No view is given on whether a figure is high or low. Report an error.