Excess Winter Deaths, 2008/09 (provisional)

Statistics on excess winter deaths include data for Wales and England for the period up to the winter of 2008-09. The latest release updates the bulletin previously released on 28 January 2009 and is based on statistics released by the ONS on 24 November 2009.

The key points from the latest bulletin are:

• There were provisionally around 2,500 excess winter deaths in Wales in winter 2008/09, an increase of 74 per cent compared with the previous winter (1,440 excess winter deaths), and the highest number since 1999/2000.
• The increase in the number of excess winter deaths in Wales and England in winter 2008/09 compared with the previous winter corresponded with a decrease in the average temperature across the winter period.
• In winter 2008/09 around 80 per cent of excess winter deaths involved people aged 75 or over.
• The highest rates of excess winter deaths relate to people aged 85 or over. In winter 2008/09 the rate was 1.2 per 10,000 population for those aged 0-64 but increased to 49 per 10,000 for those aged 75-84 and 152 per 10,000 for those aged 85 or over.
• The number of deaths in Wales in winter 2008/09 was provisionally 26 per cent higher than the average non-winter deaths, up from 14 per cent in the previous winter.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5080
E-mail: stats.healthinfo@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

December 2010 (provisional - to be confirmed on the 'Due Out Soon' page)