The first three months of 2023 saw the highest number of excess deaths in the UK since the start of the second wave of the pandemic.
Based on provisional Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, latest figures from the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) mortality monitor revealed, that in all there had been around 171,600 more deaths from all causes than expected from the start of the pandemic to 31 March 2023.
Of these, 72,900 occurred in 2020, 47,500 in 2021, 31,000 in 2022 and 20,200 in the first quarter of 2023.
The Q1 2023 data indicated the highest quarterly number of excess deaths in two years.
Around 8,600 deaths were registered in the UK in the first quarter of 2023 with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate, which account for around 40% of total excess deaths.
The number of deaths registered in England & Wales in week 13 of 2023 was 1,210 higher than if mortality rates had been the same as in week 13 of 2019.
This was equivalent to 12% more deaths than expected, while the number of deaths registered in England & Wales with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate was 634 in week 13 of 2023.
Cobus Daneel, chairman of the CMI Mortality Projections Committee, (pictured) said: “The first quarter of 2023 was the fourth consecutive quarter with significant excess mortality, and had the highest quarterly excess mortality since the peak of the second wave of the pandemic.
“While the quarter averaged over 600 UK Covid deaths a week, more than half of the excess was due to other causes.”
