FOI reference: FOI-2026-3380
You asked
I would like to request the following recorded information held by the Office for National Statistics:
The total number of excess winter deaths (or excess winter mortality figure) in England and Wales for the winter period 2024/25 (defined as December 2024 to March 2025, or the standard ONS winter definition if different).
If available as part of the above or separately recorded, a breakdown of these excess winter deaths by age group, particularly for those aged 65 and over (or State Pension age / older persons / OAPs equivalent).
Any provisional, estimated, or final figures for cold-related mortality (or deaths attributable to cold weather / low temperatures) in the UK (or England and Wales) during the winter of 2024/25, including any modelling, estimates, or direct counts if held.
If the full annual excess winter mortality bulletin or dataset covering winter 2024/25 has not yet been published, please provide:
- The current expected publication date or release schedule for this data.
- Any provisional or interim figures, weekly/monthly breakdowns, or related surveillance data already held that indicate excess mortality during the relevant winter months.
We said
Thank you for your request.
Previously published annual data on excess winter mortality from 1950 to 2022 are available in our Winter mortality in England and Wales Statistical bulletins, using the excess winter deaths (EWD) and excess winter mortality index (EWMI) measures. However, this release was discontinued following the consultation that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) ran with the Department for Health and Social Care (including the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities), NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England. This was because of limitations with the methodology used to produce these measures.
We recently contributed to a Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) report on winter mortality. The report provides updated EWD and EWMI measures for the 2022 to 2023, 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 winter periods in England, using the previous ONS methodology. These figures show that mortality during the winter period in England remains higher than other times of the year.
In addition, the report provides information on the causes and risk factors for winter mortality. The main causes of winter mortality are summarised as:
fuel poverty - those who cannot afford to heat their home adequately are more at risk of winter mortality
age - adults aged over 75 years have higher excess winter mortality than younger adults, with adults aged over 90 years having the highest winter mortality; older adults are more likely to have weaker immune systems and long-term health conditions and find it harder to stay warm when it is cold
- ethnicity - minority ethnic households are more likely to face fuel poverty, cold and damp housing, and overcrowding, which increase the risk of cold-related illness and death in winter
- rough sleeping and homelessness - people who are homeless or sleeping rough face higher risk of cold-related illness and death
The UKHSA published a Cold mortality monitoring report, England: winter 2024 to 2025 annual report on 18 February 2026 at 9:30am. This report provides the first national estimates of mortality associated with low temperatures during cold weather episodes in England over the winter season. These results are intended to inform public health preparedness and support action to reduce health impacts during periods of cold weather in England.