Official Statistics

Mortality profile: statistical commentary May 2026

Published 6 May 2026

Applies to England

What’s new

The mortality profile has been updated with provisional mortality rates and life expectancy estimates for the single year of 2025 and the 3-year period of 2023 to 2025.

Updated indicators are listed in the appendix.

Main findings

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy at birth significantly increased for both sexes between 2024 and 2025. Female life expectancy rose to 83.8 years and male life expectancy to 80.0 years. This is the first time estimated male life expectancy for England has reached 80 years.  

Since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, male life expectancy has increased by 1.5 years and female life expectancy by 1.3 years. In 2025, female life expectancy was significantly higher than the pre-pandemic estimate for 2019. Compared with 2019, male life expectancy in 2025 was higher, but not significantly higher.  

Figure 1: life expectancy at birth, England, 2001 to 2025

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data

All-cause mortality rates

Compared with 2024, the all-cause all-age mortality rate for 2025 reduced significantly for both sexes. Rates for both sexes have reduced year-on-year since they peaked in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rates in 2025 were the lowest recorded in the time series from 2001 and were significantly lower than the pre-pandemic rates for 2019. Although all-cause mortality rates for deaths in people aged under 75 decreased significantly for both sexes between 2024 and 2025, rates in 2025 remained similar to those before the pandemic in 2019.

Detailed findings

Deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory disease and liver disease accounted for 77% of deaths in England in 2025. Trends in mortality rates for these causes are shown in figures 2 and 3.

Further information on long-term trends can be found in the Mortality profile: December 2025 update statistical commentary.

Figure 2: male age-standardised mortality rates by cause of death, all ages, England, 2001 to 2025

Source: OHID, based on ONS data

Figure 3: female age-standardised mortality rates by cause of death, all ages, England, 2001 to 2025

Source: OHID, based on ONS data

Cancer

Mortality rates from cancer have had a long-term downward trend, including during the COVID-19 pandemic (see figures 2 and 3). This decrease continued in 2025. Rates fell for both sexes, but only the female rate was significantly lower than 2024.

For under-75s, rates for both sexes in 2025 were significantly lower than in 2024.

Compared with pre-pandemic rates in 2019, the cancer mortality rate in 2025 was 8% lower for both sexes. The male under 75 mortality rate for cancer was 10% lower and the female rate was 9% lower.

Cardiovascular disease

The long-term trend in decreasing mortality rates from cardiovascular disease reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rates increased between 2019 and 2022 (see figures 2 and 3). Rates have since fallen, and this continued in 2025. Rates in 2025 were significantly lower than in 2024 for both sexes.

For under-75s, the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease fell between 2025 and 2024 for both sexes, but only the decrease in the male rate was statistically significant.

Compared with 2019, mortality rates from cardiovascular disease in 2025 were significantly lower for both sexes (by 3% for the male and 9% for the female rate). However, under 75 mortality rates for cardiovascular disease in 2025 remained higher than rates in 2019 for both sexes (significantly higher for the male rate).

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

There has been a generally upward trend in mortality rates from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease since 2001, but with some fluctuations in recent years. For both sexes, there were statistically significant increases in 2025.

Compared with 2019, the male rate in 2025 was significantly lower (by 3%) but the female rate was similar.  

Respiratory disease

The mortality rates from respiratory disease have decreased since 2001, with particularly large falls during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Rates have since increased and for both sexes, rates in 2025 were similar to 2024.

For under-75s, the female mortality rate from respiratory disease in 2025 remained similar to 2024, but there was a small but significant decrease in the male rate.

Compared with 2019, respiratory disease mortality rates were significantly lower in 2025. The male rate was 11% lower and the female rate 13% lower. For under-75s, the male rate was 5% lower and the female rate 6% lower.

Liver disease

The mortality rates from liver disease have generally increased since 2001, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for both sexes, for all ages and deaths under 75, rates in 2025 remained similar to 2024.  

Compared with 2019, the male mortality rate from liver disease in 2025 was significantly higher (by 7%), while the female rate in 2025 was similar to 2019.

Geographical inequalities: regions

In 2025, the mortality rate from all causes for persons in England was 913 per 100,000 population, but substantial inequalities between different parts of the country remained.

The North East had the highest all-cause mortality rate in 2025 (1,032 per 100,000), 25% higher than London, the region with the lowest rate (828 per 100,000).

In 2025, London had the highest life expectancy for both sexes (male 81.1 years and female 85.1 years) and the North East had the lowest (male 78.4 years and female 82.3 years).

Indicators of inequality in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy have been updated as part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework: May 2026 update statistical commentary.

Background

The mortality profile brings together a selection of mortality indicators, including from other OHID data tools such as the Public Health Outcomes Framework, making it easier to assess outcomes across a range of causes of death.

The mortality profile provides mortality rates for selected chapters within the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) and specific causes within chapters. The choice is based primarily on those leading causes of mortality with the highest numbers of deaths and causes which are most relevant in public health.

In this update, indicators have been produced using 3-year moving averages and single year time periods for:

• England
• English regions
• upper and lower tier local authorities

Inequality breakdowns by level of deprivation are also available based on:

• upper and lower tier local authorities
• lower layer super output areas (LSOAs)

Methods

Mortality counts use finalised annual mortality data for 2023 and 2024, and provisional mortality data for 2025, provided by ONS.

Population denominators use annual mid-year population estimates for 2023 and 2024, and 2022-based population projections (specifically ‘2022-based: Migration category variant on 2023 local authority geographies edition of this dataset’) for 2025, provided by ONS.

The mortality rates produced are directly age-standardised rates which adjust for differences in the age structure of the population between areas and population groups.

Life expectancy estimates are produced from abridged life tables, using the number of deaths registered and annual population estimates.

Revisions

For the indicators listed in the appendix, inequality breakdowns by level of deprivation have been revised or added to incorporate the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2025 from 2022 onwards (from 2022 to 2024 for 3-year rolling averages).  

Data for LSOA-based deprivation deciles for the time period 2020 to 2022 has also been revised to take into account newer population estimates for 2022, and data has also been added for 2021 to 2023.

Data for LSOA-based deprivation deciles for 2025 is not yet available, as neither mid-year population estimates nor population projections are available at LSOA level for 2025.

Enquiries

For enquiries or feedback about the mortality profile, email pha-ohid@dhsc.gov.uk.

Appendix

In this update, the following indicators have been updated in the ‘summary’ topic in the mortality profile, with data added for the 3-year period 2023 to 2025, the single year of 2025, and revised deprivation data for the 3-year periods of 2022 to 2024, and the single years of 2022 to 2024:

• mortality rate from all causes, all ages and under 75s
• mortality rate from cancer, all ages and under 75s
• mortality rate from cardiovascular disease, all ages and under 75s
• mortality rate from liver disease, all ages and under 75s
• mortality rate from respiratory disease, all ages and under 75s
• mortality rate from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, all ages
• life expectancy at birth and at 65