The most recent mortality monitor from the Continuous Mortality Investigation shows that overall mortality in England and Wales in the third quarter of 2025 was lower than in any other quarter. The previous record low was for the third quarter of 2020, in the aftermath of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Overall mortality in the first three-quarters of 2025 was lower than in the first three-quarters of any other year, and 1.4% of a full year’s mortality lower than in the first three-quarters of 2024.
Mortality so far in 2025 is at or near a record low for many age groups, but males aged 45-64 are a notable exception. While their mortality has reduced since the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains higher than in any year from 2011 to 2019.
There were around 3,200 deaths involving COVID-19 registered in the first three-quarters of 2025, fewer than 1% of deaths in 2025 so far. This compares to around 7,600 in the first three-quarters of 2024 and 13,600 in the first three-quarters of 2023.
“Despite heatwaves, mortality this summer was lower than ever before. This contributed to mortality to date in 2025 also being at a record low,” said Cobus Daneel, Chair of the CMI Mortality Projections Committee.
“Most age groups have seen mortality fall over the past year but a notable exception to this is males aged 45-64, whose mortality remains above pre-pandemic levels.”