UK Alcohol Deaths Fall After Surge During Covid Years

The number of deaths caused directly by alcohol in the United Kingdom declined in 2024, marking the first drop since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to newly released national statistics. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that 9,809 alcohol-specific deaths were registered across the UK last year. The total represents a fall from the record high of 10,473 recorded in 2023.

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The decline brings the rate down to 14.8 deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest since 2020. While campaigners described the change as a modest improvement, they said alcohol-related deaths remain significantly higher than before the pandemic.

Alcohol-specific deaths refer to fatalities caused by health conditions that are wholly attributable to alcohol consumption.

First decline after years of increases

Alcohol-related deaths had been rising steadily since 2018, with the trend accelerating during and after the pandemic.

The 2024 figures show declines in both England and Wales. England recorded 13.8 deaths per 100,000 people, while Wales reported 16.8 per 100,000, both lower than the previous year.

However, Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to record the highest rates in the UK. Scotland reported 20.9 deaths per 100,000 people, while Northern Ireland had the highest rate at 21.4 per 100,000.

Regional differences were also evident within England. The North East recorded the highest alcohol-specific death rate at 21.1 per 100,000 people, while London had the lowest rate at 10.9 per 100,000.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said the fall could not be attributed to a single cause but stressed that overall levels remained elevated.

“They are significantly higher than they were before the pandemic and are still the biggest we've seen in decades,” he said.

Economic pressures and access to alcohol

Dr Piper pointed to a range of factors that may have contributed to rising alcohol consumption in recent years.

He said economic pressures, including the cost-of-living crisis, had increased stress and anxiety for many people. At the same time, he noted that more than 70% of alcohol in the UK is bought for consumption at home, where prices remain relatively low.

While younger people in the UK have been drinking less in recent years, Dr Piper said this trend would not necessarily translate into an immediate reduction in deaths.

The data also showed a significant difference between men and women. In 2024, the death rate for men was 20.2 per 100,000 people—nearly double the rate for women.

Age-specific figures showed declines in alcohol-related deaths among people aged 25 to 79 compared with 2023. However, deaths among those aged 80 and over increased. Dr Piper suggested this could reflect the cumulative health effects of alcohol over a lifetime.

Calls for stronger policy measures

Campaigners said the latest figures underline the need for stronger action to reduce alcohol harm.

Alcohol Change UK is urging the government to introduce minimum unit pricing in England and tighten regulations on online alcohol marketing.

Dr Katherine Severi, chief executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said the fall should not lead to complacency.

“Alcohol deaths remain at a deeply unacceptable level, and we cannot allow that to become normal,” she said.

A spokesperson for the UK Department of Health and Social Care said the government recognised the scale of the problem.

“Any death from alcohol is a tragedy,” the spokesperson said, adding that while the figures showed a slight reduction, deaths linked to alcohol remained too high.

The department said the government’s 10-year health plan includes proposals for clearer alcohol labelling to provide health and nutritional information to consumers.

It also said £3.4bn in ring-fenced funding would be provided over the next three years through the Public Health Grant to support prevention, treatment and recovery services related to drugs and alcohol.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 12 May 2026