• The number of deaths registered in England and Wales was affected by the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Bank Holidays; 17,751 deaths were registered in the week ending 8 January 2021 (Week 1), 7,682 more deaths than in the preceding week (Week 53); this sharp increase may be because of deaths in the previous weeks whose registrations were delayed, so the figures in this week’s release should be interpreted with caution.

• We estimate that the number of deaths actually occurring (rather than registered) in Week 1 in England and Wales was between 14,008 and 17,728.

• In Week 1, the number of deaths registered was 45.8% above the five-year average (5,576 deaths higher) but this increase should be treated with caution because of potential registration delays from the Christmas period.

• Of the deaths registered in Week 1, 6,057 mentioned “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, accounting for 34.1% of all deaths in England and Wales; in Week 1, deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) increased compared with Week 53 (by 2,913 deaths).

• Of the 6,057 deaths involving COVID-19, 5,367 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death (88.6%).

• Of the 4,649 deaths that involved Influenza and Pneumonia, 380 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death (8.2%).

• In England, the total number of registered deaths increased from 9,325 (Week 53) to 16,527 (Week 1); all English regions had a higher number of deaths than the five-year average for the ninth week in a row.

• In Week 1, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased in all English regions compared with Week 53.

• In Wales, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased from 310 (Week 53) to 454 (Week 1) while the total number of deaths in Week 1 was 442 higher than the five-year average.

• The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 8 January 2021 was 20,023, which was 6,170 higher than the five-year average; of deaths registered in the UK in Week 1, 6,586 deaths involved COVID-19, 3,162 higher than in Week 53.

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.