Brain cancer (brain tumours) deaths in the UK
ONS figures give 4,126 deaths from Malignant neoplasm of brain (ICD-10 C71) registered in England and Wales in 2025. That was 141 more than in 2024 (3,985). It is the highest yearly figure since 2001.
Deaths each year in England and Wales
Taking account of the population's size and age, the ONS age-standardised death rate was 6.7 per 100,000 people in 2025, 1.5% lower than in 2013 (6.8). For men it was 8.3 and for women 5.2.
In 2025, 2,426 of the deaths were of men and 1,700 of women.
| Year | All | Men | Women | Age-standardised rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,126 | 2,426 | 1,700 | 6.7 |
| 2024 | 3,985 | 2,360 | 1,625 | 6.5 |
| 2023 | 4,006 | 2,361 | 1,645 | 6.7 |
| 2022 | 4,027 | 2,383 | 1,644 | 6.8 |
| 2021 | 3,873 | 2,286 | 1,587 | 6.7 |
| 2020 | 3,945 | 2,314 | 1,631 | 6.9 |
| 2019 | 4,034 | 2,403 | 1,631 | 7.1 |
| 2018 | 4,000 | 2,327 | 1,673 | 7.2 |
| 2017 | 3,822 | 2,224 | 1,598 | 6.9 |
| 2016 | 3,828 | 2,196 | 1,632 | 7.0 |
| 2015 | 3,684 | 2,133 | 1,551 | 6.8 |
| 2014 | 3,681 | 2,163 | 1,518 | 6.9 |
| 2013 | 3,567 | 2,058 | 1,509 | 6.8 |
| 2012 | 3,628 | 2,111 | 1,517 | – |
| 2011 | 3,443 | 1,960 | 1,483 | – |
| 2010 | 3,385 | 1,963 | 1,422 | – |
| 2009 | 3,313 | 1,910 | 1,403 | – |
| 2008 | 3,207 | 1,895 | 1,312 | – |
| 2007 | 3,152 | 1,792 | 1,360 | – |
| 2006 | 3,112 | 1,824 | 1,288 | – |
| 2005 | 2,968 | 1,770 | 1,198 | – |
| 2004 | 2,996 | 1,792 | 1,204 | – |
| 2003 | 2,945 | 1,699 | 1,246 | – |
| 2002 | 2,912 | 1,676 | 1,236 | – |
| 2001 | 2,962 | 1,726 | 1,236 | – |
Age at death
Of the 4,126 deaths in 2025 with an age recorded, 33.9% were of people aged 75 or over; the largest number, 1,271, was in the 45 to 64 age group.
| Age | 2025: all | 2025: men | 2025: women | 2001: all |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 61 | 36 | 25 | 68 |
| 15 to 44 | 284 | 175 | 109 | 379 |
| 45 to 64 | 1,271 | 760 | 511 | 1,127 |
| 65 to 74 | 1,112 | 658 | 454 | 793 |
| 75 to 84 | 1,061 | 624 | 437 | 484 |
| 85 and over | 337 | 173 | 164 | 111 |
Scotland
National Records of Scotland recorded 377 deaths from this cause in 2024 (227 men, 150 women).
Northern Ireland
NISRA's Registrar General figures give 107 deaths from this cause registered in Northern Ireland in 2024, against 111 in 2014.
| Year | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 107 | 60 | 47 |
| 2023 | 100 | 61 | 39 |
| 2022 | 136 | 81 | 55 |
| 2021 | 141 | 77 | 64 |
| 2020 | 127 | 74 | 53 |
| 2019 | 116 | 76 | 40 |
| 2018 | 126 | 76 | 50 |
| 2017 | 121 | 70 | 51 |
| 2016 | 114 | 68 | 46 |
| 2015 | 109 | 69 | 40 |
| 2014 | 111 | 70 | 41 |
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 brain”, codes C71. 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.
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Sources and receipts
ONS mortality extracts for codes C71, with SHA-256 fingerprints; the ONS, NRS and NISRA workbooks are listed with the other sources.
- Mortality statistics - underlying cause, sex and age (NM_161_1)Office for National Statistics (Nomis) · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
76bbad75f416656c…· publisher's page
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