2020 was a year that bought challenges for many, including a previously unknown cause of death.
More male deaths were registered than female deaths (308,069 male deaths, 299,853 female deaths) for the first since 1981. The leading cause of death in England and Wales in 2020 was coronavirus (COVID-19), with 73,766 deaths making up 12.1% of all deaths. The second most common cause of death was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 11.5% of all deaths registered in 2020, compared to 12.5% in 2019, when dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the leading cause of death.
2020 saw the leading cause of death for males was COVID-19 with 40,995 deaths and accounting for 13.3% of all male deaths. For females the leading cause of death was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with 45,922 deaths, accounting for 15.3% of all female deaths. Considering the population size and age structure, age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) in England and Wales increased significantly, by 14.6% for males and 11.9% for females. ASMRs for 2020 were significantly higher than every year back to 2010 in males and 2009 in females.
To put the COVID-19 pandemic into perspective, the number of deaths in 2020 was greater than any year preceding it (1838-2020), except for 1918 when the Spanish Flu pandemic led to 611,861 total deaths.
Following COVID-19 and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as the leading cause of death, Ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death in 55,807 cases, accounting for 9.2% of all deaths. Cerebrovascular diseases led to 29,737 cases and 4.9% of all deaths, while malignant neoplasm of trachea bronchus and lung was found to be the leading cause of death in 28,745 cases, accounting for 4.7% of the total deaths in 2020 across all ages.
This data provides valuable insight into the ever-changing world of the probate industry, and the importance of ensuring that your affairs are in order.
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