COVID-19 confirmed deaths in England (to 31 August 2021): report
Updated 28 April 2023
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COVID-19 deaths
Public Health England (PHE) has published statistics on deaths in people with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) since 29 April 2020. In this report we present the latest data on COVID-19 mortality. Further information on the data series can be found here.
Data sources
Cases of laboratory diagnosed COVID-19 resident in England were identified from the Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS).
Fact and date of death were derived from combined sources: NHS England hospital deaths, Office for National Statistics (ONS) death registrations, PHE Health Protection Team direct reporting and Demographic Batch Service tracing of laboratory-confirmed cases.
Definitions
In this report deaths are defined as a death in a person with a laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 test and either:
- died within 60 days of the first specimen date
or
- died more than 60 days after the first specimen date with COVID-19 mentioned on the death certificate
This data does not include deaths in people where COVID-19 is suspected but not confirmed by testing (SARS-CoV-2 PCR either negative or not tested).
This data does not report cause of death, and as such represents all deaths in people with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, not just those caused by COVID-19.
In this report, data is reported from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
Mortality rates are calculated using 2019 ONS population estimates data.
Age-standardised rates adjust for differences in the age structure of populations. The standard used throughout this report is the European Standard Population 2013.
Methods
Mortality rates presented for different time periods have been annualised in order to enable comparisons. This method involves adjusting the population data used to calculate rates for the time period covered, these are expressed as mortality rates per 100,000 population per year. These rates cannot be compared with rates that do not have this adjustment.
Mortality rates by region, local authority, sex, ethnic group and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) have been age-standardised to account for the different age distributions within different populations.
All figures displaying mortality rates have been calculated using a seven-day rolling average, to allow for smoothing of fluctuating data.
To note, from 6 July 2021, ethnicity data has been updated based on a new method for assigning ethnicity developed by PHE. The previous method used the most recent ethnicity recorded through linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and was supplemented by self-reported ethnicity recorded on test request forms. The new method uses self-reported ethnicity from test request forms and supplements this with the most frequent ethnicity recorded through linkage to HES, unless the most frequent was ‘other’ when the second most frequent was chosen. The new method has resulted in a reduction in the number of cases allocated to the ‘other’ ethnic group and a slight increase in the % allocated to all other ethnic groups.
COVID-19 mortality rates
Within the period 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021, 5,642,190 cases of COVID-19 were detected in England.
In the same period, there have been 94,815 deaths in persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. This represents a crude mortality rate of 167.7 per 100,000 population. From 1 September 2020 onwards, the highest recorded number of daily deaths was 1,504 deaths on 19 January 2021.
Table 1. Number of laboratory-confirmed cases, deaths and crude mortality rate (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by month*†
| Month | Cases | Deaths | Crude mortality rate (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2020 | 127,664 | 826 | 1.5 (1.4-1.6) |
| October 2020 | 482,813 | 4,551 | 8.0 (7.8-8.3) |
| November 2020 | 526,574 | 11,653 | 20.6 (20.2-21.0) |
| December 2020 | 862,026 | 15,870 | 28.1 (27.6-28.5) |
| January 2021 | 1,079,255 | 33,332 | 58.9 (58.3-59.6) |
| February 2021 | 292,420 | 16,495 | 29.2 (28.7-29.6) |
| March 2021 | 135,931 | 5,217 | 9.2 (9.0-9.5) |
| April 2021 | 59,574 | 1,319 | 2.3 (2.2-2.5) |
| May 2021 | 61,878 | 507 | 0.9 (0.8-1.0) |
| June 2021 | 296,906 | 465 | 0.8 (0.7-0.9) |
| July 2021 | 935,106 | 1,591 | 2.8 (2.7-3.0) |
| August 2021 | 782,043 | 2,989 | 5.3 (5.1-5.5) |
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021. Due to continuous data quality improvements, reported number of cases and deaths may be subject to fluctuations. These numbers represent a snapshot of the number of cases and deaths at the time of report production.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 1. Number of deaths in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by date of death, from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Age and sex distribution
Since 1 September 2020, the mortality rate was highest among those aged over 80 (annualised rate of 1,923.1 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 2. Number of deaths and annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population per year) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by age group†
| Age group | Deaths (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Deaths (August 2021) | Mortality rate ** (95% CI) (August 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <5 | <10 | 0.2 (0.1-0.5) | <10 | 0.4 (0.0-2.0) |
| 5-9 | <10 | 0.2 (0.1-0.4) | <10 | 0.3 (0.0-1.9) |
| 10-19 | 45 | 0.7 (0.5-0.9) | <10 | 1.4 (0.6-2.8) |
| 20-29 | 194 | 2.7 (2.3-3.1) | 24 | 3.9 (2.5-5.8) |
| 30-39 | 632 | 8.4 (7.7-9.0) | 68 | 10.6 (8.2-13.4) |
| 40-49 | 1,720 | 24.2 (23.0-25.3) | 133 | 22.0 (18.4-26.1) |
| 50-59 | 4,969 | 65.1 (63.3-66.9) | 268 | 41.3 (36.5-46.6) |
| 60-69 | 10,586 | 177.0 (173.6-180.4) | 457 | 90.0 (81.9-98.6) |
| 70-79 | 21,738 | 450.6 (444.6-456.6) | 687 | 167.7 (155.4-180.7) |
| 80+ | 54,917 | 1,923.1 (1907.1-1939.3) | 1,342 | 553.3 (524.1-583.7) |
Note: Numbers of deaths fewer than 10 have been excluded to minimise the risk of deductive disclosure.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
From 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021, 50,919 (annualised rate of 210.0 per 100,000 population per year) deaths have occurred in males and 43,896 (140.2 per 100,000 per year) in females. The mortality rate in both sexes in August was considerably lower than the average for the total period 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
Table 3. Number of deaths and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate ** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by sex*†
| Sex | Deaths (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Deaths (August 2021) | Mortality rate ** (95% CI) (August 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 43,896 | 140.2 (138.9-141.5) | 1,236 | 4.1 (3.8-4.3) |
| Male | 50,919 | 210.0 (208.1-211.8) | 1,753 | 7.1 (6.8-7.5) |
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 2.a. Seven-day rolling average annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population per year) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by age group, from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 2.b. Seven-day rolling average annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by age group, August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 August to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Ethnicity
Overall, the age-adjusted annualised mortality rate from 1 September 2020 onwards was highest among those of Asian or Asian British ethnic groups (annualised rate of 365.2 per 100,000 population per year) followed by those of Black and Black British ethnic groups (annualised rate of 301.6 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 4. Number of deaths and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by ethnicity†
| Ethnic category *** | Deaths (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Deaths (August 2021) | Mortality rate ** (95% CI) (August 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White / White British | 82,509 | 163.7 (162.6-164.8) | 2,421 | 4.9 (4.7-5.1) |
| Black / Black British | 2,633 | 301.6 (289.5-314.1) | 155 | 16.8 (14.1-19.9) |
| Asian / Asian British | 6,848 | 365.2 (356.1-374.4) | 258 | 13.4 (11.7-15.2) |
| Mixed | 453 | 165.1 (149.0-182.2) | 21 | 6.9 (4.0-10.8) |
| Other± | 489 | 229.9 (208.1-252.9) | 26 | 11.3 (6.9-16.9) |
| Unknown | 0 | – | 0 | – |
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
***Ethnic categories are based on ONS classifications.
±The rates in the Other ethnic group are likely to be an overestimate due to the difference in the method of allocating ethnicity codes to the deaths data and the population data used to calculate the rates.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Note: From 6 July 2021, ethnicity data has been updated based on a new method for assigning ethnicity developed by PHE which has resulted in a decrease in deaths in ‘other ethnicity’ category. This month’s ethnicity data is not comparable to previous months.
Figure 3.a. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by ethnicity, 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
***Ethnic categories are based on ONS classifications.
±The rates in the Other ethnic group are likely to be an overestimate due to the difference in the method of allocating ethnicity codes to the cases data and the population data used to calculate the rates.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Note: From 6 July 2021, ethnicity data has been updated based on a new method for assigning ethnicity developed by PHE which has resulted in a decrease in deaths in ‘other ethnicity’ category. This month’s ethnicity data is not comparable to previous months.
Figure 3.b. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by ethnicity, August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 August to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
±The rates in the Other ethnic group are likely to be an overestimate due to the difference in the method of allocating ethnicity codes to the cases data and the population data used to calculate the rates.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Note: From 6 July 2021, ethnicity data has been updated based on a new method for assigning ethnicity developed by PHE which has resulted in a decrease in deaths in ‘other ethnicity’ category. This month’s ethnicity data is not comparable to previous months.
Deprivation
Relative deprivation was assessed using quintiles of the IMD linked to residential lower super output area, with IMD 1 representing the most deprived. Overall, from 1 September 2020, the age-adjusted annualised mortality rate is highest among those living in the most deprived areas, with a gradual decrease in mortality rate seen with decreasing deprivation. In August 2021, the age-adjusted annualised mortality rate is highest among those living the most deprives areas (IMD quintiles 1 and 2) and the lowest mortality rate is seen among those in the least deprived quintile, quintile 5.
Table 5. Number of deaths and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by IMD quintile*†
| IMD Quintile (1 most deprived) ** | Deaths (31 July 2020 to 31 July 2021) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (31 July 2020 to 31 July 2021) | Deaths (July 2021) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (July 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22,440 | 277.4 (273.8-281.1) | 906 | 10.9 (10.2- 1.6) |
| 2 | 20,178 | 208.4 (205.5-211.3) | 657 | 6.7 (6.2-7.3) |
| 3 | 18,563 | 160.4 (158.1-162.7) | 530 | 4.6 (4.2-5.0) |
| 4 | 17,454 | 139.5 (137.4-141.6) | 484 | 3.9 (3.6-4.3) |
| 5 | 15,725 | 120.3 (118.4-122.2) | 371 | 2.9 (2.6-3.2) |
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 4.a. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by IMD quintile, 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 4.b. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000) population in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by IMD quintile, August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 August to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Regional breakdown
Since 1 September 2020, the annualised mortality rate was highest in the North West (209.8 per 100,000 population per year), followed by London (197.8 per 100,000 population per year) and the West Midlands (192.9 per 100,000 population per year). The lowest mortality rate was seen in the South West (91.1 per 100,000 population per year). In August, the highest annualised mortality rate was seen in the North East (8.9 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 6. Number of deaths and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by PHE centre*†
| PHE Centre | Deaths (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) | Deaths (August 2021) | Mortality rate ** (95% CI) (August 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 8,963 | 182.7 (178.9-186.5) | 269 | 5.6 (4.9-6.3) |
| East of England | 11,829 | 172.4 (169.3-175.5) | 264 | 3.9 (3.5-4.4) |
| London | 11,951 | 197.8 (194.3-201.4) | 377 | 6.1 (5.5-6.8) |
| North East | 5,013 | 181.3 (176.3-186.4) | 243 | 8.9 (7.8-10.1) |
| North West | 15,074 | 209.8 (206.5-213.2) | 499 | 7.0 (6.4-7.6) |
| South East | 14,639 | 153.0 (150.5-155.5) | 274 | 2.9 (2.6-3.3) |
| South West | 6,128 | 91.1 (88.8-93.4) | 251 | 3.8 (3.4-4.3) |
| West Midlands | 11,322 | 192.9 (189.4-196.5) | 371 | 6.4 (5.8-7.1) |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 9,424 | 173.3 (169.8-176.8) | 400 | 7.4 (6.7-8.2) |
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 5.a. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by PHE centre, 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 5.b. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by PHE centre, August 2021*†
*Data is presented from 1 August to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 6.a. Age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by upper-tier local authority, 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021†**
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
***Please note that some changes were made in June to the way deaths are allocated to local authorities. As a result, some deaths previously reported in England have been reallocated to different resident local authorities.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figure 6.b. Age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, by upper-tier local authority, August 2021†**
*Data is presented from 1 August to 31 August 2021.
**Rates are annualised and expressed as the number of deaths per 100,000 population per year.
***Please note that some changes were made in June 2021 to the way deaths are allocated to local authorities. As a result, some deaths previously reported in England have been reallocated to different resident local authorities.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test or where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Figures 6a and 6b:
-
contain Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2020
-
contain National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2020
Case fatality risk
Case fatality risk (CFR) describes the risk of death following a laboratory-confirmed positive COVID-19 test. For this report, CFR has been calculated within 60 days of an individual’s first positive specimen (from PCR, LAMP, and LFD tests) CFR is reported on data 31 July 2020 up to and including 6 June 2021. Cases diagnosed in the last 60 days were excluded from this analysis, due to incomplete follow-up period. Deaths are excluded from the CFR calculation if they cannot be linked to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case data.
CFR is sensitive to:
-
changes in testing coverage and detection rate of COVID-19 infections (Dudel and others, 2020; Wu and others, 2020; Harman and others, 2021)
-
changes in the demographics of the infected population
-
changes in the effectiveness of treatment and the health system’s ability to care for severe COVID-19 cases
Table 7. Number of laboratory-confirmed cases, deaths and CFR in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1 September 2020 to 7 July 2021*†
| Cases | Deaths | CFR (%) (95% CI) | CFR (%) (95% CI) Males | CFR (%) (95% CI) Females | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2020 to 7 July 2021 |
4,104,090 | 86,099 | 2.1 (2.1 - 2.1) | 2.4 (2.4 - 2.4) | 1.9 (1.8 - 1.9) |
*Figures differ from Table 1 based on CFR calculation inclusion criteria.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test and linked to the confirmed COVID-19 case data.
Figure 7. Number of laboratory-confirmed cases, deaths and CFR in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1 September 2020 to 7 July 2021*†
Note: The time period presented covers a period where testing coverage and testing modes have changed significantly, therefore apparent changes in estimated case fatality should be interpreted with caution. Numbers of cases and deaths are stacked by week. Cases are presented by week of specimen date. Deaths are presented by week of death.
*Data presented from, 1 September 2020 to 5 September 2021, the last full week of full data available.
†Deaths within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test and linked to the confirmed COVID-19 case data.
CFR by age
Since December 2020, the CFR has declined in all age groups, following the roll-out of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme. CFR remains highest among those aged over 80 but has declined from 33.5 (95% CI:33.0-34.1) in December 2020 to 15.1 (95% CI: 13.3-17.0) in June 2021.
CFR among those aged under 20 years old has remained very low since December 2020, given most of this population is unvaccinated, with 1 death per 25,000 cases in June 2021.
Table 8. Number of laboratory-confirmed cases, deaths and CFR in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by age group and month, 1 September 2020 to 7 July 2021*†
| Age category | CFR (%)(95% CI) Dec 2020 | CFR (%) (95% CI) Jan 2021 | CFR (%) (95% CI) Feb 2021 | CFR (%)(95% CI) Mar 2021 | CFR (%)(95% CI) Apr 2021 | CFR (%) (95% CI) May 2021 | CFR (%)(95% CI) Jun 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <20 | 0.004 (0.001-0.008) | 0.008 (0.004-0.014) | 0.010 (0.003-0.026) | 0.006 (0.001-0.021) | 0.000 (0.000-0.024) | 0.005 (0.000-0.027) | 0.004 (0.001-0.011) |
| 20-29 | 0.014 (0.009-0.022) | 0.024 (0.017-0.031) | 0.039 (0.024-0.060) | 0.009 (0.001-0.032) | 0.019 (0.002-0.068) | 0.026 (0.005-0.075) | 0.02 (0.01-0.03) |
| 30-39 | 0.08 (0.06-0.09) | 0.09 (0.08-0.11) | 0.09 (0.07-0.12) | 0.1 (0.04-0.11) | 0.008 (0.000-0.046) | 0.08 (0.04-0.15) | 0.05 (0.03-0.07) |
| 40-49 | 0.2 (0.2-0.3) | 0.3 (0.3-0.4) | 0.3 (0.3-0.4) | 0.2 (0.1-0.2) | 0.1 (0.0-0.2) | 0.2 (0.1-0.3) | 0.1 (0.1-0.2) |
| 50-59 | 0.8 (0.7-0.8) | 1.0 (0.9-1.0) | 1.1 (1.0-1.2) | 0.7 (0.6-0.8) | 0.5 (0.3-0.7) | 0.5 (0.3-0.7) | 0.3 (0.3-0.4) |
| 60-69 | 3.3 (3.2-3.5) | 3.9 (3.8-4.0) | 4.1 (3.9-4.4) | 2.8 (2.4-3.2) | 2.2 (1.7-2.8) | 1.9 (1.4-2.6) | 1.4 (1.1-1.7) |
| 70-79 | 14.0 (13.6-14.4) | 15.0 (14.6-15.3) | 14.0 (13.4-14.7) | 10.2 (9.1-11.4) | 6.1 (4.9-7.6) | 4.7 (3.4-6.2) | 3.8 (3.1-4.5) |
| 80+ | 33.5 (33.0-34.1) | 32.9 (32.4-33.4) | 27.3 (26.5-28.2) | 22.8 (21.2-24.4) | 21.3 (18.6-24.4) | 14.4 (11.4-17.9) | 15.1 (13.3-17.0) |
Figure 8. Number of laboratory-confirmed cases, deaths and CFR in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 by age group, 1 September 2020 to 7 July 2021*†
