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Christine Jeavans has reported for BBC Verify that exclusive analysis done for BBC News shows that the UK death rate hit a record low last year. Mortality experts examined death certificates from 2024 and determined that deaths per capita had returned to pre-pandemic levels, even falling slightly below the previous record set in 2019. Despite this positive development, the new figures indicate that the UK has reverted to its long-term trend of modest improvement in mortality rates. This research was conducted by analysts from the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Stuart McDonald of the CMI remarked on the five-year period of stagnant mortality improvement, noting its departure from historical norms. He also expressed concern about the rise in death rates among young working adults. A Department of Health spokesperson mentioned a shift in governmental focus from treating sickness to prevention. Over the years, the UK saw a steady decline in registered death rates from 1974 to 2011, driven largely by advancements in combating heart disease, such as smoking cessation and medical breakthroughs.
Since 2011, the pace of improvement slowed significantly, only to take a downturn during the Covid pandemic, resulting in an increased number of deaths. The subsequent year of 2022 also witnessed a high number of excess deaths. To calculate the record-low 2024 death rate of 989 per 100,000 people in the UK, the CMI analysts utilized provisional weekly death registration data from the four UK nations. Dr. Veena Raleigh of The King’s Fund acknowledged the positive news of lower mortality rates in 2024 but highlighted broader concerns, noting that the UK’s life expectancy lags behind comparable countries and has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels like Spain has by 2023.
Researchers have cited various reasons for the slowdown in mortality improvements since 2011, including the depletion of easy gains in heart disease and cancer prevention, elevated levels of obesity, poor dietary habits, and inadequate physical activity. Socioeconomic disparities and strains on the NHS have exacerbated these risk factors. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have emerged as the leading causes of death in England and Wales, followed by heart disease, lung ailments, strokes, lung cancer, and occasional flu outbreaks. Prof. Bryan Williams from the British Heart Foundation highlighted the concerning plateau in reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease, especially noting the impact on deprived areas of England and urging immediate government action on prevention, detection, and treatment
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