Main points from latest release

• The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 2 October 2020 (Week 40) was 9,945; this was 311 more deaths than in Week 39.

• In Week 40, the number of deaths registered was 4.1% above the five-year average (390 deaths higher).

• Of the deaths registered in Week 40, 321 mentioned “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, accounting for 3.2% of all deaths in England and Wales; this is an increase compared with Week 39 (when there were 215 deaths involving COVID-19, accounting for 2.2% of all deaths).

• The numbers of deaths in hospitals and care homes remained below the five-year average in Week 40 (233 and 81 fewer deaths respectively), while the number of deaths in private homes remained above the five-year average (725 more deaths).

• The number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased in seven of the nine English regions; the South West was the only English region to have lower overall deaths than the five-year average.

• In Wales, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased from 12 deaths (Week 39) to 25 deaths (Week 40), while the total number of deaths in Week 40 was 84 deaths higher than the five-year average.

• The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 2 October 2020 (Week 40) was 11,444, which was 591 deaths higher than the five-year average and 583 deaths higher than Week 39; of the deaths registered in the UK in Week 40, 343 deaths involved COVID-19, 109 deaths higher than Week 39.

This table includes provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, by age, sex and region, in the latest weeks for which data are available. Includes the most up-to-date figures available for deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19).

For information on data quality, legislation and procedures relating to mortality statistics, please see our User guide to mortality statistics.

For mortality data for other UK countries please see statistics on deaths in Scotland and statistics on deaths in Northern Ireland.