London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Number of UK Covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows

Number of UK Covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows

Figures show deaths per capita are above European average, at 2,689 per million people

More than 200,000 Covid deaths have been recorded across the UK, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

There have been a total of 200,247 Covid deaths, including 294 in the last week. The figures cover deaths due to Covid-19 as well as those involving the virus.

More than 100,000 deaths were registered in the UK by early January 2021, less than a year into the pandemic. It has taken more than a year and a half for the death toll to double, with vaccination uptake, better understanding of how to treat the virus and social distancing measures all contributing to fewer deaths.

However, the milestone is a reminder of the continued toll of Covid-19, with almost a quarter of the fatalities occurring in the past year.

“At the moment there’s a narrative of ‘we got the big calls right on Covid’ and I just don’t think you can look at those numbers and say that,” said Prof Christina Pagel, the director of University College London’s clinical operational research unit. “More than 150,000 deaths were in the first two waves and many countries around the world are nowhere near that figure because they took different actions early in the pandemic.

“Also 50,000 of those deaths have happened since last summer. There was a time when the suggestion of 50,000 deaths a year seemed outrageous, yet we seem to have just accepted that this is the way it is, when it’s much higher than the death toll from an annual flu season.”

The UK has the highest death toll in Europe in absolute terms, according to Our World in Data, and a death rate of 2,689 per million people. This rate is lower thaat in Hungary, Italy or Poland but higher than the rates of Spain (2,295 per million), France (2,230) and Germany (1,704), according to figures from Our World In Data up to 12 July.


The UK’s excess mortality rate is also higher than other European averages, running at 2,098 per million people, almost twice that of Germany’s (1,117), according to Our World in Data.

Experts say the figures, though likely to be an undercount, reflect the impact of political decisions taken early in the pandemic. “Many people died from Covid in March and April 2020 where it was not recorded on the death certificate – probably in excess of 10,000. This underreporting was largely due to deaths in care homes when GPs were unable to get tests to confirm Covid,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia.

“Many of the deaths in early 2020 could have been prevented by a more timely response in the UK and by not discharging large numbers of infectious people to care homes.”

The proportion of cases where Covid was a primary cause of death compared with those where death certificates mentioned the virus, either as the main cause or a contributory factor, has fallen over the course of the pandemic.

Analysis of registration figures for England and Wales for the pandemic to date shows that in the first wave, 91% of people died directly as a result of Covid.


Since Omicron became the dominant variant the figure has fallen to 68% of Covid deaths, and in recent weeks it has been 60%, as a result of the reduced severity of the strain and the success of the vaccine rollout.

However, experts are calling for a focus on longer-term solutions as new variants emerge, potentially threatening the effectiveness of existing vaccines.

“We can’t think about temporary restrictions. It’s not putting curfews on things or restricting who we can see. There have to be things that we can do sustainably – not just tomorrow but this year and next year,” Pagel said.

“The biggest thing is tackling the fact that it’s airborne by having clean indoor air and improving ventilation and air filtration. That means investing in new technologies, like far ultraviolet C (UVC) light, which could be a complete gamechanger. It doesn’t affect anyone’s freedom, it just makes it a bit safer.

“The government should make tests free again … Then we need to improve our sick pay. We have one of the lowest rates of sick pay in Europe. People can’t afford to stay home if they are ill and so they’re going to work.”

Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
Dont fret over those dying it is just getting started with the heart attacks and blood clots and as a added bonus cancer rates have explored. In a average year 5 to 10 athletes but usually closer to 5 die on the field. This year there is close to 300. Yes the clot shot is effective at killing people

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×