Life - Articles - Record low death rates in 2024

 The key points are:

 • In England & Wales, mortality for 2024 was nearly 4% lower than in 2023 and slightly below the previous record low seen in 2019.
 • Death rates fell in all age categories between 2023 and 2024.
 • However, mortality compared to the 2014-2023 average varies significantly by age.
 • Mortality in 2024 for ages 20-44 was 2% above the ten-year average, which includes the peak pandemic period, while mortality for ages 45-64 was 2% below the ten-year average and mortality for ages 65-100 was 6% below.
 • There were around 10,000 deaths involving COVID-19 registered in 2024, compared to around 17,000 in 2023 and 33,000 in 2022.
 • Our analysis is based on death registrations. The impact of death certificate reform in 2024 is to increase the time taken to register deaths. This means that the numbers of deaths registered in 2024 may be around 0.25% lower than if the reforms had not been implemented.

  

 Cobus Daneel, Chair of the CMI Mortality Projections Committee, said: “2024 has had low mortality, with death rates below the previous record lows seen in 2019. However, we would typically expect mortality rates to fall over time, and mortality in 2024 has been higher than projected before the pandemic. Mortality trends have differed greatly by age. Remarkably, mortality for younger adults is still above the ten-year average. In contrast, mortality for ages 75-84 is 8% below.”

  

 All mortality monitor weekly updates are publicly available on the mortality monitor page.