UK alcohol deaths fall from record high
According to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report, the number of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2024 fell by 6.3%, the first decline since 2018.
In total, there were 9,809 alcohol‑specific deaths in 2024, compared with 10,473 in 2023 – which was a record high. The numbers have been rising since 2018, when the total was 7,565.
The rate of alcohol-specific deaths (14.8 per 100,000 people) decreased to its lowest recorded number since 2020 (13.9 per 100,000 people).
There was a fall in alcohol-related mortality for those aged between 25 and 79, while the 20-24 bracket remained around the same as 2023. However, rates increased for those aged 80 and over.
The rate of alcohol-specific mortality for men remained around twice the rate of women (20.2 and 9.7 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively). This was consistent with previous years.
The rate decreased in England and Wales, with 13.8 and 16.8 per 100,000 people respectively.
Scotland also decreased, although it remained higher than England and Wales, with 20.9 deaths per 100,000 people. This number was the lowest since 2019, when it was 18.5.
Northern Ireland’s figure increased to a record high of 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people. It remains the nation with the highest rate of alcohol-specific mortality in the UK.
In 2023, the Irish government proposed introducing additional labelling information for alcoholic beverages, however this has been postponed until 2029.
The north-east had the highest rate of alcohol-specific mortality of any English region (21.1 deaths per 100,000), while London had the lowest (10.9).
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