FOI reference: FOI-2023-1240
You asked
The ONS issues a weekly deaths report which references the “all deaths 5 year average”. This number is never stated, only says either "xxxx above or below the 5 year average". As this 5 year average is a rolling number and not a constant, please supply the actual number used as the 5 year average for the weekly deaths reports from 2013 to 2023.
We said
Thank you for your request regarding our Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional publication and associated dataset.
The five year average used in Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional dataset for 2022 and 2023 is supplied in column E of Tab 1. The methodology explained in the 'Notes' tab.
Deaths registered in 2022 were compared with the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 five-year average.
Deaths registered in 2023 will be compared with the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 five-year average.
Further information on the calculation of the five year average can be found in the 'measuring the data' link in the 'Notes' tab, next to Note no.3.
For previous years, please refer to the row named 'Total deaths: average of corresponding week over the previous 5 years' in the 'Weekly figures' tab for each year and corresponding footnotes for more information.
If you have any further questions about this publication, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.