According to recently published provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of deaths recorded in January 2018 was 64,157. Compared to December 2017, this represents a rise of 19,016 and, in comparison to January 2017, an increase of 6,791.
The rise in the number of deaths recorded in England and Wales last month has in part been attributed to circulating influenza.
When looking at the statistics, it’s important to note the impact of weekends and moveable public holidays during the particular month. As registry offices are closed on these days, a death may have to be registered in the following month. When comparing the figures on a monthly and yearly basis, it is therefore important to consider the frequency of bank holidays during the particular months being looked at.
During January, the majority of deaths were registered in the South East, with the provisional figure reaching 10,011. In comparison to December 2017, this is a rise of 3,013. The North West followed, with registered deaths in the region totalling 8,625.
In contrast, the region with the lowest number of deaths registered was the North East, at a total of 3,503. Compared to December 2017, the number of registered deaths has grown by 976. Ranking slightly ahead was Wales, where 3,945 deaths were registered during January. In comparison to the figures for the previous month, the number of registered deaths grew by 1,188.
