Deaths due to and involving COVID-19

FOI Ref: FOI/2021/2980

You asked

Please supply the figures for the number of deaths that are DIRECTLY attributable to COVID-19 and those have died where COVID-19 was just mentioned on their death certificate.

We said

Thank you for your enquiry.

COVID-19 deaths by underlying cause and contributory cause are reported weekly in the Deaths Registered Weekly in England and Wales publication, which is updated every Tuesday.

When we say that a death 'involved' COVID-19, we mean that COVID-19 was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, possibly along with other health conditions, not necessarily as the underlying cause of death. When we say that a death was 'due to' COVID-19, we mean that COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, because it was either the only health condition mentioned on the death certificate, or it was the one that started the train of events leading to death. You can see how these different categories are used in the ONS Monthly mortality analysis.

2020 data is available in our recent publication Deaths due to COVID-19, registered in England and Wales: 2020.

For 2021, we hold the following analysis in our Deaths Registered Weekly in England and Wales publication.

For further information about your request, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.