Dataset(s): Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional

Important notes and usage information

• Weekly deaths for 2020 are for the period from 28 December 2019 to 1 January 2021; therefore, these figures do not represent the calendar year 2020.

• The number of deaths registered in England and Wales was affected by the Boxing Day and New Year's Day Bank Holidays; 10,069 deaths were registered in the week ending 1 January 2021 (Week 53), 1,451 fewer deaths than in Week 52; trends in this week's release should be interpreted with caution.

• In Week 53, the number of deaths registered was 26.6% above the five-year average (2,115 deaths higher) but this increase should be treated with caution.

• Of the deaths registered in Week 53, 3,144 mentioned "novel coronavirus (COVID-19)", accounting for 31.2% of all deaths in England and Wales; in Week 53, deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) increased compared with Week 52 (by 232 deaths).

• Of the 3,144 deaths involving COVID-19, 2,741 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death (87.2%).

• Of the 2,494 deaths that involved Influenza and Pneumonia, 187 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death (7.5%).

• In England, the total number of deaths decreased from 10,680 (Week 52) to 9,325 (Week 53); all English regions had a higher number of deaths than the five-year average for the eighth week in a row.

• In Week 53, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 decreased in four of the nine English regions compared with Week 52, but increased in the other five (North West, East of England, London, South East and South West).

• In Wales, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased from 278 (Week 52) to 310 (Week 53) while the total number of deaths in Week 53 was 209 higher than the five-year average.

• In this week's bulletin, we use the Week 52 five-year average to compare against Week 53 deaths as only one other year in the last five years had a Week 53; because of this, we are unable to provide estimates for the number of deaths that actually occurred in Week 53.

• The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 1 January 2021 was 11,541, which was 2,304 higher than the five-year average; of deaths registered in the UK in Week 53, 3,417 deaths involved COVID-19, 220 higher than in Week 52.

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.