UK Alcohol-Specific Deaths Fall for First Time Since Covid Pandemic

Alcohol-specific deaths in the United Kingdom fell in 2024 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, though public health leaders warn that mortality remains far above pre-pandemic levels and the drop should not be read as cause for complacency.

The Details

The Office for National Statistics registered 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes across the UK in 2024, a decrease from the record 10,473 recorded in 2023. The national rate stood at 14.8 deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest figure since 2020 but still substantially above the level seen before the sustained climb that began in 2018.

England saw the largest absolute decline, with 7,673 alcohol-specific deaths compared with 8,274 in 2023. Its rate fell to 13.8 per 100,000. Wales also recorded a decline, with its rate dropping to 16.8 per 100,000.

Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to post the highest rates among the four UK nations, at 20.9 and 21.4 deaths per 100,000 respectively.

Regional variation within England remained pronounced. The North East had the highest alcohol-specific death rate of any English region at 21.1 per 100,000, while London recorded the lowest at 10.9. No other English regional rates were cited in the release.

Gender and age breakdowns revealed additional disparities. The alcohol-specific death rate for men across the UK in 2024 was 20.2 per 100,000, nearly double the 9.7 rate recorded for women. Age-specific rates fell for people aged 25 to 79 but increased for those aged 80 and over.

Context

The ONS measures alcohol-specific deaths rather than all alcohol-related deaths. That narrower category only captures conditions that are a direct consequence of alcohol use, such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol poisoning, rather than every death in which alcohol may have contributed. Because the definition is restricted, the figures do not represent the full mortality burden linked to drinking, but they do provide a consistent benchmark for tracking year-over-year change.

The 2024 decline follows a prolonged upward trend. Alcohol-specific deaths had climbed steadily from 2018 until reaching the 2023 record, a trajectory that researchers have associated partly with changes in drinking behaviour during and after the lockdowns imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2024 total, while lower than the peak, remains well above the levels recorded before the pandemic began.

The persistent elevation in mortality has drawn attention from public health organisations and policymakers. Charities and researchers have noted that the figures, despite the recent drop, reflect a structural increase in alcohol-related harm that predates the pandemic and has been amplified by it.