Covid-19 no longer in top five causes of death in England and Wales

covid19

In 2020 and 2021, Covid-19 was the leading cause of death in the two countries

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released data on the causes of deaths in England and Wales in 2022.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Covid-19 has dropped out of the top five. In 2020 and 2021, it was the leading cause of death, with 73,766 (12.1 per cent) and 67,350 (11.5 per cent) deaths respectively.

Covid-19 was recorded as the main cause of death for 22,454 people in 2022 (3.9 per cent of deaths registered), making it the sixth main cause.

The leading causes of death in England and Wales in 2022 were:

  • Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – 65,967 deaths registered (11.4 per cent)
  • Ischaemic heart diseases – 59,356 (10.3 per cent)
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases – 29,815 (5.2 per cent)
  • Cerebrovascular diseases, like strokes and aneurysms – 29,274 (5.1 per cent)
  • Trachea, bronchus and lung cancer – 28, 571 (five per cent).

Sarah Caul, Head of Mortality Analysis at the ONS, said the figures represent a ‘significant change’ in England and Wales’ leading causes of death.