Total number of deaths in the UK, including the cause of death from 2017 to 2020

You asked

I would like to make a freedom of information request to ask a few questions I would like to know:

1. How many people have died between January 1st 2017 and December 31st 2017 in the United Kingdom?

2. How many people have died between January 1st 2018 and December 31st 2018 in the United Kingdom?

3. How many people have died between January 1st 2019 and December 31st 2019 in the United Kingdom?

4. How many people have died between January 1st 2020 and December 31st 2020 in the United Kingdom?

I would like to know the figures which include every death and what they have died from.

If you cannot provide this information I would like to know why and if there is a delay when can I have this information.

We said

Thank you for your request.

Total deaths in the UK: 2017 to 2019

We publish headline UK mortality figures within our Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages. The latest data available for the whole of the United Kingdom is for 2019.

Total deaths in the UK: 2020

We currently only hold provisional mortality totals for deaths registered in 2020 for England and Wales. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for 2020 provisional mortality figures pertaining to Scotland and Northern Ireland. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively.

According to the following bulletin, Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional, using data up to the w/e 1 January 2021 (week 53), we can confirm that there have been 614,114 deaths registered in England and Wales.

Whilst the data has not yet been finalised for 2020, all three Statistical authorities have published blogs with year-end figures, which you may find useful:

England and Wales - https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2021/01/12/counting-deaths-involving-coronavirus-a-year-in-review/

Scotland - https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/covid19/annual-deaths-excess-deaths-1855-2020.xlsx

Northern Ireland - https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/monthly-deaths

Deaths from 2017 to 2020 in the UK, broken down by cause of death

We do not hold data showing a breakdown of mortality data in Scotland or Northern Ireland by cause. This information is held by NRS and NIRSA. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively.

Our NOMIS webservice provides a breakdown of all deaths for 2017-2019 by leading causes or by ICD-10 broad cause chapter.

Please see the following instructions for using this service: Select the geography (England and Wales, regional or by local authority).

Select Age - All ages or 5-year age bands.

Select Gender - Total or Male/Female

Select rates - All deaths, rates or percentage of population for example.

Select cause of death (ICD10 code search is available).

Select format (Excel or CSV for example)

Our Deaths Registered Series provides an annual breakdown of selected causes and leading causes of death from 2012 to 2019. The datasets accompanying these bulletins provide further information regarding cause of death. These are accessible via the following links:

Deaths registered in England and Wales: This dataset provides annual data on deaths registered by age, sex and selected underlying cause of death. Tables also provide both mortality rates and numbers of deaths over time.

Deaths registered in England and Wales -- 21^st century: This dataset provides annual data on the number of deaths registered in England and Wales by age group, sex, year and underlying cause of death, as defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision.

If these datasets do not meet your needs, we may be able to create a custom output. Information on annual registered deaths by ICD-10 or leading causes for 2017-2019 along with other special extracts and tabulations of mortality data for England and Wales are available to order (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate).

Such enquiries would fall outside of the Freedom of Information regime and should be made to: Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.

2020:

The following publication, Monthly Mortality Analysis, provides a breakdown by month and year to date of deaths by leading causes. However, this does not provide a full breakdown of all deaths by cause.

2020 data is still in provisional format. Further analysis of 2020 mortality data will be published once it has been finalised in July 2021. This is to allow time for late registration data to be received, such as deaths that have been referred for a coroner's inquest.