2023 deaths rise for first time since Covid, Final Duties finds
The ONS’ latest data from December 2023 showed that there were 580,073 deaths in England and Wales
The number of annual deaths in England and Wales rose for the first time since the pandemic in 2023, according to the latest research by probate brokers Final Duties.
The analysis by Final Duties tracked the number of reported quarterly deaths across England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics, and how the figure has changed on both a quarterly and annual basis.
The ONS’ latest data from December 2023 showed that there were 580,073 deaths in England and Wales. Final Duties’ analysis showed that this marked a 0.7% rise on the total figure seen in 2022.
According to the firm’s analysis, this is the first time the number of annual deaths has increased since the pandemic year of 2020, when the number of deaths registered across England and Wales rose by 14.6%.
However, this figure had been declining, first by 3.6% in 2021 and then by a further 1.6% in 2022.
Meanwhile, the North East of England saw an annual increase of 2% in recorded deaths in 2023, while the South East recorded the highest increase in the actual number of deaths. According to Final Duties, 2023 saw the number increase by 1,050 compared to 2022, marking an annual increase of 1.2%.
The East Midlands and West Midlands also saw deaths rise by 1.2%, followed by Wales (1%), the South West (0.7%), East of England (0.5%), and North West (0.3%).
The only regions to see the number of deaths decline were Yorkshire and Humber and London, which declined by 0.4% and 0.1% respectively.
