North and Midlands hardest hit by winter deaths spike including Merseyside - ONS figures explained

Office for National Statistics figures have revealed how many extra people are dying this winter.
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Significantly more excess deaths are currently being recorded in the North of England and Midlands compared to the South, with pressure on the NHS “likely” to be a factor, according to an analysis by NationalWorld.

The analysis, which is based on weekly death data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has revealed a clear north-south divide across England, with figures released yesterday (January 10) showing the number of additional deaths is a third higher in northern regions compared to southern.

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North West England, including Merseyside and Manchester, saw a huge increase in deaths compared with the pre-covid five year average and two Merseyside areas saw an increase of over 10%.

In the last four weeks of 2022, the North West had the highest number of additional deaths, when compared with the pre-covid five year average. The region saw a whopping 22.3% more deaths, or 1,265 excess deaths.

The annual data shows that the North West had the third highest number of additional deaths in 2022, with a 9.8% increase or an additional 7,000 deaths in the region.

The infographics below show the number of excess deaths nationally, for week 51 and 52 of 2022.

Image: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim MoggImage: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim Mogg
Image: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim Mogg
Image: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim MoggImage: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim Mogg
Image: NationalWorld Analysis of ONS Data/Kim Mogg

Merseyside deaths in 2022 compared to average

Knowsley - 3.8% additional deaths

Pre-covid five year average: 1576

Deaths registered from January 1 to December 30 2022: 1636

Liverpool - 4.8% additional deaths

Pre-covid five year average: 4179

Deaths registered from January 1 to December 30 2022: 4501

Sefton - 11.4% additional deaths

Pre-covid five year average: 3259

Deaths registered from January 1 to December 30 2022: 3630

St Helens 11.8% additional deaths

Pre-covid five year average: 1961

Deaths registered from January 1 to December 30 2022: 2194

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