England recorded its lowest avoidable death rate in 2025, yet the rate for men in its most deprived areas was 3.8 times that in its least deprived areas, official figures released Monday show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) counted 110,804 avoidable deaths among people younger than 75 in England. They accounted for 20.7% of all deaths registered there. In Wales, the agency recorded 8,011 such deaths, or 22.4% of the total.
The measure covers causes considered preventable through public health action or treatable with timely, effective care. Its rates are adjusted for differences in population age, allowing comparisons across places and years.
England’s age-adjusted rate fell 3.1% from 2024 to 219.5 deaths per 100,000 people, below its previous low in 2019. Rates had peaked during the pandemic in 2021. Wales’ rate declined 0.8% to 269.2 per 100,000 in 2025.
The divide within England remained pronounced. Men in the most deprived areas had an avoidable death rate of 547.8 per 100,000, compared with 144.7 in the least deprived areas. The corresponding rates for women were 327.5 and 95.2.
Wales also had substantial differences by deprivation. The two countries use separate deprivation measures, however, and the ONS says their gaps are not directly comparable.
Rates fell in every English region. The North East recorded the highest rate, at 270.0 per 100,000, while the South East had the lowest, at 190.6. A previous study of England’s north-south mortality divide examined deaths from all causes in 2024; the ONS figures cover only causes classified as avoidable.
Neoplasms (tumours) made up the largest category of avoidable deaths in both countries. Diseases of the circulatory system ranked second. The ONS has not announced a date for its next avoidable mortality release.
