Coroners Inquest Conclusions by Age Around half of inquests completed were conducted in respect of those aged 65 years and over
Coroners Inquest Conclusions by Age Of the inquests completed in 2025, 55% related to persons who were aged 65 years or over at the time of death compared with 5% relating to persons under 25 years of age.
Dr Martin Harris
The number of inquests opened in 2025 decreased by 672 (down 2%) to 35,989.
The annual publication presents statistics of deaths reported to Coroners in England and Wales in 2025.
Coroners Inquest Conclusions by AgeThe profile of the age of the deceased in inquests has changed slightly from 2024 to 2025. The percentage of inquests completed relating to persons aged 65 or over has decreased by less than one percentage point to 55%. By contrast, 5% of inquests concluded related to persons under 25 years of age, unchanged compared to 2024, while the percentage of those between 25 and 65 years remained stable at 39% (see Table 8).
Over the last 10 years from 2015 to 2025, the percentage of inquests completed for persons aged 65 or over decreased from 61% to 55%. Inquests concluded for those under 25 years of age remained stable at 5% and for those aged between 25 and 65 years the percentage rose from 34% to 39% over the same period.
Although an age breakdown of registered deaths in England and Wales in 2025 is not yet available, ONS figures for 2024 show that 84% of registered deaths in England and Wales were persons aged 65 or over, with only 1% aged under 25 years old.
Dr Martin Harris
Private GP in London and expert for medical legal reports and qualified Medical Examiner RCPathME
Dr Martin Harris