Recent mortality trends in England

Main findings

Mortality rates and estimates of life expectancy in England have improved since the COVID-19 pandemic. Although 2023 estimates of life expectancy were still lower, and overall mortality rates were still higher than pre-pandemic levels, provisional estimates for 2024 were similar to 2019.

The long-term trend in life expectancy and overall mortality rates was one of continuing improvement until around 2011. Although there was some improvement in the decade before 2020, the level of improvement was far lower than in the preceding 3 decades. The scale of improvement between 2022 and 2024 indicates a return to progress seen in these earlier decades, however this is a short time period coinciding with recovery from the pandemic and it is not possible to predict if this will continue.

In 2024, the female provisional premature mortality rate (deaths under age 75) was similar to 2019, but the male rate remained higher than 2019.

Age-specific mortality rates have fallen (since the pandemic significantly increased mortality rates) but by 2024 not all age groups had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Cancer mortality rates in 2024 were significantly lower than 2019 for both sexes. While there was concern that disruption to screening and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic might lead to an increase in cancer mortality, overall cancer rates have so far followed the long-term trend by continuing to decrease.

Male mortality from cardiovascular disease did increase during the pandemic and the rate in every year between 2020 and 2023 was significantly higher than 2019. A fall in 2024, however, returned the rate to a similar level to 2019. The same trend was not seen for female cardiovascular disease mortality as only the rate for 2022 was significantly higher than 2019 and the 2024 rate was significantly lower than 2019.

There was concern that suicide rates might go up during the pandemic, but rates for both sexes in the years 2020 to 2023 were statistically similar to 2019. However, these data are based on the year deaths were registered in. Suicides are only registered following a coroner’s inquest, and the pandemic affected the function of coroners’ courts, leading to longer delays in death registration.

Alcohol-specific mortality rates have increased for both sexes since 2001, and this increase has been particularly marked since 2019. Rates in 2023 were significantly higher than 2019 for both sexes. Drug misuse mortality rates have also increased for both sexes since 2001. 

Introduction

This report provides recent and long-term trends in mortality in England by sex, age and cause of death, including provisional data for 2024.

Although final estimates of life expectancy and mortality rates are published annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), this report releases more up-to-date data and puts it in the context of longer term trends.

A comprehensive review of mortality trends was published in 2018 by Public Health England, which examined, in particular, a slowdown in improvement in mortality rates from around 2011 onwards, and the potential explanatory factors which may have influenced that.

This report, published by OHID in June 2025:

  • provides a complete picture of mortality trends in the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

  • assesses the extent to which levels of mortality have recovered since the pandemic to those seen before the pandemic

The provisional estimates for 2024 allow us to examine more clearly the effect of the pandemic on mortality trends and the subsequent recovery, including whether there appears to have been a longer term impact on specific causes of death.

Number of deaths

Since 2011, the absolute number of deaths in England each year has generally increased, but with fluctuations between individual years. This reverses the previous downward trend, but the increase was expected as the population has both increased and aged. One factor in this is that the post-war ‘baby boomer’ generation has been increasingly moving into older age groups, which have higher mortality rates than younger age groups.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of deaths by 15% between 2019 and 2020. The total in 2020 was the second highest annual figure ever reported by the ONS, exceeded only by 1918 (the last year of the First World War and the first year of the Spanish flu pandemic). Numbers have since decreased but remain higher than pre-pandemic years (Figure 1).

The number of deaths is not a good indicator of the health of the population as it does not adjust for population size and age structure, however it is useful as an indicator of the burden on health and other services.

Between 1981 and 2019 the annual number of female deaths was higher than the number of male deaths, but since the pandemic this has changed, with more male deaths every year since 2020. This is likely to reflect the greater impact of COVID-19-related mortality on men than women, as well as the effect of men from the ‘baby-boomer’ generation increasingly nearing those ages which have the highest annual numbers of deaths. Although this will also cause an increase in deaths among women, numbers have increased faster for men as their average age at death is lower.

The number of deaths in England per year has generally increased since 2011, which was expected as the population has both increased and aged.

Figure 1: Number of deaths from all causes, England, 1971 to 2024
Year Sex Deaths
1971 Persons 532,445
1971 Male 270,228
1971 Female 262,217
1972 Persons 554,251
1972 Male 280,284
1972 Female 273,967
1973 Persons 549,876
1973 Male 276,860
1973 Female 273,016
1974 Persons 547,980
1974 Male 275,908
1974 Female 272,072
1975 Persons 545,444
1975 Male 274,598
1975 Female 270,846
1976 Persons 560,317
1976 Male 280,191
1976 Female 280,126
1977 Persons 538,652
1977 Male 270,548
1977 Female 268,104
1978 Persons 547,685
1978 Male 275,494
1978 Female 272,191
1979 Persons 554,840
1979 Male 278,129
1979 Female 276,711
1980 Persons 544,349
1980 Male 272,753
1980 Female 271,596
1981 Persons 541,046
1981 Male 270,271
1981 Female 270,775
1982 Persons 545,017
1982 Male 271,489
1982 Female 273,528
1983 Persons 542,530
1983 Male 270,433
1983 Female 272,097
1984 Persons 531,321
1984 Male 264,183
1984 Female 267,138
1985 Persons 553,150
1985 Male 273,397
1985 Female 279,753
1986 Persons 544,545
1986 Male 269,351
1986 Female 275,194
1987 Persons 531,161
1987 Male 262,100
1987 Female 269,061
1988 Persons 535,556
1988 Male 262,999
1988 Female 272,557
1989 Persons 539,796
1989 Male 262,959
1989 Female 276,837
1990 Persons 528,914
1990 Male 259,230
1990 Female 269,684
1991 Persons 533,966
1991 Male 259,662
1991 Female 274,304
1992 Persons 522,656
1992 Male 254,209
1992 Female 268,447
1993 Persons 540,902
1993 Male 260,896
1993 Female 280,006
1994 Persons 516,297
1994 Male 249,364
1994 Female 266,933
1995 Persons 529,033
1995 Male 254,590
1995 Female 274,443
1996 Persons 526,647
1996 Male 252,232
1996 Female 274,415
1997 Persons 521,598
1997 Male 248,438
1997 Female 273,160
1998 Persons 518,084
1998 Male 247,197
1998 Female 270,887
1999 Persons 517,123
1999 Male 245,602
1999 Female 271,521
2000 Persons 503,025
2000 Male 239,931
2000 Female 263,094
2001 Persons 497,878
2001 Male 237,017
2001 Female 260,861
2002 Persons 500,792
2002 Male 237,981
2002 Female 262,811
2003 Persons 504,127
2003 Male 237,639
2003 Female 266,488
2004 Persons 480,717
2004 Male 229,099
2004 Female 251,618
2005 Persons 479,678
2005 Male 227,956
2005 Female 251,722
2006 Persons 470,326
2006 Male 225,314
2006 Female 245,012
2007 Persons 470,721
2007 Male 224,556
2007 Female 246,165
2008 Persons 475,763
2008 Male 226,822
2008 Female 248,941
2009 Persons 459,241
2009 Male 222,379
2009 Female 236,862
2010 Persons 461,017
2010 Male 222,366
2010 Female 238,651
2011 Persons 452,862
2011 Male 219,068
2011 Female 233,794
2012 Persons 466,779
2012 Male 224,460
2012 Female 242,319
2013 Persons 473,552
2013 Male 229,291
2013 Female 244,261
2014 Persons 468,875
2014 Male 229,116
2014 Female 239,759
2015 Persons 495,309
2015 Male 240,417
2015 Female 254,892
2016 Persons 490,791
2016 Male 240,721
2016 Female 250,070
2017 Persons 498,882
2017 Male 245,464
2017 Female 253,418
2018 Persons 505,859
2018 Male 250,012
2018 Female 255,847
2019 Persons 496,370
2019 Male 247,894
2019 Female 248,476
2020 Persons 569,700
2020 Male 288,742
2020 Female 280,958
2021 Persons 549,349
2021 Male 279,173
2021 Female 270,176
2022 Persons 540,333
2022 Male 273,579
2022 Female 266,754
2023 Persons 544,054
2023 Male 276,252
2023 Female 267,802
2024 Persons 531,941
2024 Male 270,851
2024 Female 261,090

Data source 1971 to 2000: Office for National Statistics (ONS) View ONS Age-standardised mortality rates standardised using the both 2013 and 1976 European Standard Populations, by sex, England, 1971 to 2016

Data source 2001 to 2023: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) using Office for National Statistics (ONS) data published in Fingertips View the Fingertips Mortality Profile

Data source 2024: Office for National Statistics (ONS) provisional data as at 15 April 2025

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Office for National Statistics (2024 data is provisional)


Life expectancy

In recent decades, life expectancy at birth has generally increased (Figure 2) but there was a marked slowdown in this improvement in the decade before 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a fall in male life expectancy between 2019 and 2020 of 1.3 years, and there was a fall of 0.9 years in female life expectancy. Life expectancy has since improved and provisional estimates for 2024 (male: 79.8 years, female: 83.6 years) are similar to 2019 for both sexes.

Improvement in life expectancy at birth slowed between 2010 and 2019 and life expectancy fell in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates for 2024 are similar to 2019 for both sexes.

Figure 2: Life expectancy at birth, England, 1980 to 2024
Year Sex Value
1980 Male 70.8
1980 Female 76.8
1981 Male 71.1
1981 Female 77.1
1982 Male 71.3
1982 Female 77.2
1983 Male 71.5
1983 Female 77.5
1984 Male 72.0
1984 Female 77.8
1985 Male 71.9
1985 Female 77.6
1986 Male 72.1
1986 Female 77.9
1987 Male 72.5
1987 Female 78.2
1988 Male 72.6
1988 Female 78.3
1989 Male 72.9
1989 Female 78.4
1990 Male 73.1
1990 Female 78.7
1991 Male 73.3
1991 Female 78.8
1992 Male 73.7
1992 Female 79.2
1993 Male 73.7
1993 Female 79.0
1994 Male 74.3
1994 Female 79.5
1995 Male 74.3
1995 Female 79.5
1996 Male 74.5
1996 Female 79.6
1997 Male 74.8
1997 Female 79.7
1998 Male 75.0
1998 Female 79.9
1999 Male 75.2
1999 Female 80.0
2000 Male 75.6
2000 Female 80.4
2001 Male 76.0
2001 Female 80.6
2002 Male 76.1
2002 Female 80.7
2003 Male 76.3
2003 Female 80.7
2004 Male 76.9
2004 Female 81.3
2005 Male 77.1
2005 Female 81.4
2006 Male 77.5
2006 Female 81.7
2007 Male 77.8
2007 Female 81.9
2008 Male 77.9
2008 Female 81.9
2009 Male 78.4
2009 Female 82.5
2010 Male 78.7
2010 Female 82.6
2011 Male 79.1
2011 Female 83.0
2012 Male 79.3
2012 Female 82.9
2013 Male 79.3
2013 Female 83.0
2014 Male 79.5
2014 Female 83.2
2015 Male 79.3
2015 Female 82.9
2016 Male 79.5
2016 Female 83.1
2017 Male 79.5
2017 Female 83.2
2018 Male 79.5
2018 Female 83.2
2019 Male 79.8
2019 Female 83.5
2020 Male 78.5
2020 Female 82.6
2021 Male 78.7
2021 Female 82.8
2022 Male 79.3
2022 Female 83.1
2023 Male 79.2
2023 Female 83.2
2024 Male 79.8
2024 Female 83.6
Life expectancies are specified in years

Data source 1980 to 2023: Office for National Statistics (ONS) View ONS Single year life tables - England edition 2023

Data source 2024: Office for National Statistics (ONS) provisional data as at 15 April 2025

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Office for National Statistics (2024 data is provisional)


Between 2010 to 2019, the level of improvement in life expectancy at birth, as measured by the average of annual change between years, was much lower than in the preceding 3 decades. Improvement in the 2010s was a third of that seen in the decade 2000 to 2010 for both sexes (Table 1).

Between 2022 and 2024, life expectancy improved at a similar rate to that seen in decades before 2010. It remains, however, difficult to predict changes to life expectancy in coming years.

Table 1: Average annual change in life expectancy at birth, England, by decade
  Years
Decade   Male Female
1980 to 1990   0.22 0.17
1990 to 2000   0.24 0.16
2000 to 2010   0.3 0.23
2010 to 2019   0.09 0.07
2022 to 2024   0.26 0.23
A positive value indicates an improvement in life expectancy within the period.
2020 and 2021 have been excluded due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Life expectancy at age 65 has generally increased over time since the 1980s (Figure 3). However, as with life expectancy at birth, improvement slowed in years before 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, there was a fall of approximately a year for both men and women. Provisional estimates for 2024 are 0.2 years higher than those for 2019, for both men and women.

Life expectancy at age 65 has generally increased over time but as with life expectancy at birth there has been a slowdown since 2011. Estimates for 2024 are higher than 2019 for both sexes.

Figure 3: Life expectancy at age 65, England, 1980 to 2024
Year Sex Value
1980 Male 13.0
1980 Female 17.0
1981 Male 13.1
1981 Female 17.1
1982 Male 13.1
1982 Female 17.1
1983 Male 13.2
1983 Female 17.2
1984 Male 13.5
1984 Female 17.5
1985 Male 13.3
1985 Female 17.3
1986 Male 13.5
1986 Female 17.5
1987 Male 13.8
1987 Female 17.7
1988 Male 13.9
1988 Female 17.7
1989 Male 14.0
1989 Female 17.7
1990 Male 14.1
1990 Female 18.0
1991 Male 14.2
1991 Female 17.9
1992 Male 14.4
1992 Female 18.2
1993 Male 14.3
1993 Female 18.0
1994 Male 14.8
1994 Female 18.4
1995 Male 14.7
1995 Female 18.3
1996 Male 14.9
1996 Female 18.4
1997 Male 15.1
1997 Female 18.5
1998 Male 15.3
1998 Female 18.6
1999 Male 15.5
1999 Female 18.7
2000 Male 15.8
2000 Female 19.0
2001 Male 16.1
2001 Female 19.2
2002 Male 16.2
2002 Female 19.2
2003 Male 16.4
2003 Female 19.2
2004 Male 16.8
2004 Female 19.7
2005 Male 17.0
2005 Female 19.8
2006 Male 17.3
2006 Female 20.1
2007 Male 17.5
2007 Female 20.2
2008 Male 17.6
2008 Female 20.2
2009 Male 18.0
2009 Female 20.7
2010 Male 18.1
2010 Female 20.8
2011 Male 18.4
2011 Female 21.0
2012 Male 18.4
2012 Female 20.9
2013 Male 18.5
2013 Female 20.9
2014 Male 18.7
2014 Female 21.2
2015 Male 18.5
2015 Female 20.9
2016 Male 18.7
2016 Female 21.1
2017 Male 18.7
2017 Female 21.1
2018 Male 18.7
2018 Female 21.1
2019 Male 19.0
2019 Female 21.4
2020 Male 18.0
2020 Female 20.6
2021 Male 18.4
2021 Female 21.0
2022 Male 18.7
2022 Female 21.2
2023 Male 18.8
2023 Female 21.3
2024 Male 19.2
2024 Female 21.6
Life expectancies are specified in years

Data source 1980 to 2023: Office for National Statistics (ONS) View ONS Single year life tables - England edition 2023

Data source 2024: Office for National Statistics (ONS) provisional data as at 15 April 2025

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Office for National Statistics (2024 data is provisional)


For both men and women, the level of improvement in life expectancy at age 65 between 2010 and 2019 was less than a third of the improvement seen between 2000 and 2010 (Table 2). As with life expectancy at birth, the rate of improvement between 2022 and 2024 indicates a return to levels of improvement seen in decades before 2010.

Table 2: Average annual change in life expectancy at 65, England, by decade
  Years
Decade   Male Female
1980 to 1990   0.11 0.1
1990 to 2000   0.16 0.1
2000 to 2010   0.24 0.18
2010 to 2019   0.07 0.05
2022 to 2024   0.23 0.21
A positive value indicates an improvement