COVID-19 confirmed deaths in England (to 31 March 2022): report
Updated 28 April 2023
© Crown copyright 2023
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COVID-19 deaths
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), formerly Public Health England (PHE), has published statistics on deaths in people with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test since 29 April 2020. In this report we present the latest data on coronavirus (COVID-19) mortality. Further information on the data series can be found here.
Data sources
Cases with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test 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, UKHSA Health Protection Team direct reporting and Demographic Batch Service tracing of cases with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.
Definitions
As of 1 February 2022, UKHSA has begun reporting deaths following COVID-19 re-infections. From this point, reported deaths in people with COVID-19 are considered from the first positive specimen date of the most recent episode of infection, rather than an individual’s first ever positive specimen date.
In this report deaths are defined as a death in a person with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and either:
- died within 60 days of the first specimen date of the most recent infection 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 a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, not just those caused by COVID-19.
In this report, data is reported from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Mortality rates are calculated using 2020 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 7-day rolling average, to allow for smoothing of fluctuating data.
COVID-19 mortality rates
Within the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, 14,011,842 cases of COVID-19 were detected in England. In the same period, there have been 45,788 deaths in persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. This represents a crude mortality rate of 81.0 per 100,000 population. From 1 April 2021 onwards, the highest recorded number of daily deaths was 322 deaths on 27 January 2022.
Table 1. Number of cases with a positive COVID-19 specimen, deaths and crude mortality rate (per 100,000 population) of COVID-19 cases, by month*†
| Month | Cases | Deaths | Crude mortality rate (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-21 | 63,848 | 1,363 | 2.4 (2.3 - 2.5) |
| May-21 | 65,046 | 547 | 1.0 (0.9 - 1.1) |
| Jun-21 | 305,097 | 499 | 0.9 (0.8 - 1.0) |
| Jul-21 | 956,546 | 1,636 | 2.9 (2.8 - 3.0) |
| Aug-21 | 802,438 | 3,131 | 5.5 (5.3 - 5.7) |
| Sep-21 | 780,502 | 3,758 | 6.6 (6.4 - 6.9) |
| Oct-21 | 1,073,770 | 4,046 | 7.2 (6.9 - 7.4) |
| Nov-21 | 1,029,852 | 4,237 | 7.5 (7.3 - 7.7) |
| Dec-21 | 2,826,366 | 4,293 | 7.6 (7.4 - 7.8) |
| Jan-22 | 3,218,396 | 8,251 | 14.6 (14.3 - 14.9) |
| Feb-22 | 1,103,850 | 6,968 | 12.3 (12.0 - 12.6) |
| Mar-22 | 1,786,131 | 7,059 | 12.5 (12.2 - 12.8) |
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. 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 cases with a positive COVID-19 specimen by date of death, from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
†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 April 2021, the mortality rate was highest among those aged over 80 (annualised rate of 858.9 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 2. Number of deaths with a positive COVID-19 specimen and annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population per year) in COVID-19 cases, by age group†
| Age group | Deaths (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Deaths (March 2022) | Mortality rate ** (95% CI) (March 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <5 | 25 | 0.8 (0.5 - 1.1) | <10 | 1.1 (0.2 - 3.2) |
| 5 - 9 | <10 | 0.3 (0.1 - 0.5) | <10 | 0.7 (0.1 - 2.4) |
| 10 - 19 | 79 | 1.2 (1.0 - 1.5) | <10 | 0.7 (0.2 - 1.8) |
| 20 -29 | 223 | 3.1 (2.7 - 3.5) | 23 | 3.7 (2.4 - 5.6) |
| 30 - 39 | 623 | 8.2 (7.6 - 8.9) | 70 | 10.9 (8.5 - 13.8) |
| 40 - 49 | 1,309 | 18.4 (17.4 - 19.4) | 115 | 19.0 (15.7 - 22.8) |
| 50 - 59 | 2,996 | 39.2 (37.8 - 40.7) | 260 | 40.1 (35.4 - 45.3) |
| 60 - 69 | 5,609 | 93.8 (91.3 - 96.3) | 622 | 122.4 (113.0 - 132.5) |
| 70 - 79 | 10,387 | 215.3 (211.2 - 219.5) | 1,472 | 359.3 (341.1 - 378.1) |
| 80+ | 24,527 | 858.9 (848.2 - 869.7) | 4,488 | 1850.5 (1796.7 - 1905.4) |
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 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, 25,342 (annualised rate of 104.0 per 100,000 population per year) deaths have occurred in males and 20,438 (66.1 per 100,000 per year) in females. The mortality rate in both sexes in March was considerably lower than the average for the total period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Table 3. Number of deaths with a positive COVID-19 specimen and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate ** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases, by sex†
| Sex | Deaths (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Deaths (March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (March 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 20,438 | 66.1 (65.2 - 67.0) | 3,312 | 10.5 (10.2 - 10.9) |
| Male | 25,342 | 104.0 (102.8 - 105.3) | 3,747 | 15.6 (15.1 - 16.1) |
**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 COVID-19 cases by age group, from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
**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 COVID-19 cases by age group, March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 March to 31 March 2022.
**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 April 2021 onwards was highest among those of Other ethnic groups (annualised rate of 185.1 per 100,000 population per year) followed by those of Black and Black British ethnic groups (annualised rate of 170.3 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 4. Number of deaths with a positive COVID-19 specimen and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate* (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases, by ethnicity**†
| Ethnic category | Deaths (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate* (95% CI) (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Deaths (March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate* (95% CI) (March 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 37,922 | 75.9 (75.1 - 76.6) | 6,114 | 12.1 (11.8 - 12.4) |
| Black / Black British | 1,529 | 170.3 (161.2 - 179.6) | 122 | 14.1 (11.6 - 16.9) |
| Asian / Asian British | 2,474 | 129.9 (124.5 - 135.5) | 199 | 11.3 (9.7 - 13.1) |
| Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups | 233 | 74.4 (63.9 - 85.8) | 24 | 8.9 (5.4 - 13.4) |
| Other± | 380 | 185.1 (165.3 - 206.2) | 35 | 17.4 (11.7 - 24.5) |
*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.
Figure 3.a. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases by ethnicity***±, 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022†
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
**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.
Figure 3.b. Seven-day rolling average age-adjusted mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases by ethnicity***±, March 2022†
*Data is presented from 1 March to 31 March 2022.
**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.
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 April 2021 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 March 2022, the age-adjusted annualised mortality rate is highest among those living in areas of IMD quintile 1, and the lowest mortality rate is seen among those in the least deprived quintile, quintile 5.
Table 5. Number of deaths with a positive COVID-19 specimen and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases, by IMD quintile†
| IMD Quintile (1 most deprived) | Deaths (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Deaths (March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (March 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11,493 | 140.3 (137.8 - 142.9) | 1,325 | 16.5 (15.6 - 17.4) |
| 2 | 9,709 | 99.8 (97.8 - 101.8) | 1,397 | 14.4 (13.6 - 15.2) |
| 3 | 8,763 | 76.1 (74.5 - 77.7) | 1,455 | 12.6 (11.9 - 13.2) |
| 4 | 8,156 | 65.6 (64.1 - 67.0) | 1,415 | 11.3 (10.7 - 11.9) |
| 5 | 7,177 | 55.5 (54.2 - 56.8) | 1,341 | 10.2 (9.7 - 10.8) |
**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 COVID-19 cases by IMD quintile, 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
**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 COVID-19 cases by IMD quintile, March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 March to 31 March 2022.
**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 April 2021, the annualised mortality rate was highest in the North East (106.2 per 100,000 population per year), followed by the North West (105.9 per 100,000 population per year) and Yorkshire and Humber (96.9 per 100,000 population per year). The lowest mortality rate was seen in the South East (60.3 per 100,000 population per year). In March 2022, the highest annualised mortality rate was seen in the North West (13.7 per 100,000 population per year).
Table 6. Number of deaths with a positive COVID-19 specimen and age-adjusted annualised mortality rate** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases, by UKHSA centre†
| UKHSA Centre | Deaths (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022) | Deaths (March 2022) | Age-adjusted mortality rate** (95% CI) (March 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 4,323 | 88.5 (85.9 - 91.2) | 621 | 12.7 (11.7 - 13.7) |
| East of England | 4,896 | 71.9 (69.9 - 73.9) | 882 | 12.8 (12.0 - 13.7) |
| London | 5,269 | 86.4 (84.1 - 88.8) | 613 | 10.1 (9.3 - 10.9) |
| North East | 2,925 | 106.2 (102.4 - 110.1) | 362 | 13.1 (11.8 - 14.5) |
| North West | 7,607 | 105.9 (103.6 - 108.4) | 986 | 13.7 (12.9 - 14.6) |
| South East | 5,728 | 60.3 (58.8 - 61.9) | 1,162 | 12.1 (11.4 - 12.8) |
| South West | 4,046 | 61.4 (59.5 - 63.3) | 857 | 12.9 (12.0 - 13.8) |
| West Midlands | 5,246 | 89.7 (87.3 - 92.2) | 759 | 12.8 (11.9 - 13.8) |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 5,258 | 96.9 (94.3 - 99.6) | 691 | 12.7 (11.8 - 13.7) |
**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 COVID-19 cases by UKHSA centre, 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
**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 COVID-19 cases by UKHSA centre, March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 March to 31 March 2022.
**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 COVID-19 cases test by upper-tier local authority, 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022*†
**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.b. Age-adjusted annualised mortality rates** (per 100,000 population) in COVID-19 cases by upper-tier local authority, March 2022*†
*Data is presented from 1 March to 31 March 2022.
**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.
Figures 6a and 6b:
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contain Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2020
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contain National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2020
Case fatality risk
Case fatality risk (CFR) describes the risk of death following a 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 1 April 2021 up to and including 18 February 2022.
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 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 cases with a positive COVID-19 specimen, deaths and case fatality risk in COVID-19 cases, 1 April 2021 to 18 February 2022*†
| Cases | Deaths† | Case Fatality Risk (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2021 to 18 February 2022 | 11,970,490 | 33,157 | 0.3 |
| 19 January 2022 to 18 February 2022 | 1,950,823 | 4,585 | 0.2 |
*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 cases with a positive COVID-19 specimen, deaths and case fatality risk in COVID-19 cases, 1 April 2021 to 18 February 2022*†
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 April 2021 to 18 February 2022, up to and including 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.