UK alcohol deaths fall for first time since Covid pandemic

"The number of deaths caused by alcohol in the UK has fallen for the first time since the Covid pandemic, the latest national figures show. According to data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK in 2024. In what one expert calls a "modest reduction", it marks the lowest number since 2021 and the lowest rate since 2020 at 14.8 deaths per 100,000 people."

"Alcohol-specific deaths where health conditions are a direct consequence of alcohol had been rising in the UK since 2018, hitting a record-high of 10,473 in 2023. Deaths rates fell in England and Wales, to 13.8 and 16.8 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively, in 2024 compared to 2023. Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest rates in the UK - 20.9 and 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively."

"Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, told BBC News there was no single factor behind the decrease, but that the figures were still "way too high". "They are significantly higher than they were before the pandemic and are still the biggest we've seen in decades", he said."

"Dr Piper said pandemic stress, cost-of-living pressures and the wide availability of cheaper, store-bought alcohol were among the reasons why people were drinking more. "More economic hardship causes an increase in drinking due to the stress and anxiety it brings, while over 70% of all alcohol is purchased at home and shop-bought alcohol is as cheap as it's ever been," he said."

In 2024, 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK, the lowest number since 2021 and the lowest rate since 2020. The rate was 14.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Deaths from alcohol-specific causes had risen since 2018, reaching 10,473 in 2023. In 2024, rates fell in England and Wales to 13.8 and 16.8 per 100,000, respectively, compared with 2023. Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest rates, at 20.9 and 21.4 per 100,000. Experts said there was no single cause for the decrease, while emphasizing that alcohol-related harm remains too high and driven by factors including pandemic stress, cost-of-living pressures, and cheap alcohol availability.

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