Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many recorded deaths were caused by (1) COVID-19, and (2) any form of cancer, in each calendar month of (a) 2018, (b) 2019, and (c) 2020, up to and including August.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Lord Warner,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many deaths were recorded in each calendar month of (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020, up to and including August (HL7905); and how many recorded deaths were caused by (1) COVID-19, and (2) any form of cancer, in each calendar month of (a) 2018, (b) 2019, and (c) 2020, up to and including August (HL7906).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths in England and Wales. The ONS’ mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. In England and Wales, deaths should ideally be registered within 5 days of the death occurring, but there are some situations that result in the registration of the death being delayed. The ONS has published a report on the impact of registration delays[1].

The ONS produces a monthly report[2] on provisional deaths in England and Wales. The most recent report goes up to July 2020 and provides breakdowns by all deaths combined and a breakdown for deaths due to COVID-19. The ONS also produces an annual report[3] which includes registered deaths by age, sex, selected underlying causes of death, and the leading causes of death.

National Records for Scotland[4] and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency[5] are responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Table 1 shows the number of deaths by all causes, that were registered by month, in 2018, 2019, and 2020, in England and Wales. All numbers for 2020 are provisional. The data for August will be published on 18 September 2020, which we will send to you.

Table 2 shows the number of deaths that were registered where cancer was the underlying cause of death by month, 2018 and 2019, in England and Wales. The corresponding numbers by month for 2020 are not yet available, as detailed data on deaths by underlying cause are not normally published until after the end of the registration year.

Table 3 shows the number of deaths where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, January to July 2020, in England and Wales. Provisional data on deaths involving COVID-19 is being published, exceptionally, on an ongoing basis throughout the year: numbers of deaths due to COVID-19 in August will be available on 18 September 2020, which we will also send to you.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/impactofregistrationdelaysonmortalitystatisticsinenglandandwales/2018

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending28august2020

[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregistrationsummarytables/2019

[4]https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/

[5]https://www.nisra.gov.uk/

Table 1: Number of deaths registered in 2018, 2019, 2020 by month, all causes, England and Wales[1][2][3][4]

[1]Figures include deaths of non-residents.

[2]Figures are for the date a death was registered rather than occurred.

[3]2020 figures are provisional.

[4]2020 figures are as published, the back series has not been revised.

Source: ONS

Table 2: Number of deaths registered where the underlying cause of death was cancer, 2018 and 2019, by month, England and Wales[1][2][3][4]

[1]Underlying cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10): Malignant neoplasms (C00-C97).

[2]Figures for Cancer include deaths of non-residents.

[3]2020 figures are provisional

[4]Figures are for the date a death was registered rather than occurred.

Source: ONS

Table 3: Number of deaths registered where the underlying cause of death was COVID-19, 2020, by month, England and Wales[1][2][3][4][5]

[1]Underlying cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10): coronavirus (COVID-19) (U07.1 and U07.2).

[2]Figures for COVID-19 exclude the deaths of non-residents.

[3]2020 figures are provisional

[41]Figures are for the date a death was registered rather than occurred.

[5]2020 figures are as published, the back series has not been revised

Source: ONS