Decrease in the number of deaths reported to the Coroner 2025, in the annual publication presents statistics of deaths reported to Coroners in England and Wales in 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2025/coroners-statistics-2025-england-and-wales
15% decrease in the number of deaths reported to coroners in 2025
147,814 deaths were reported to coroners in 2025, the lowest level since the start of the annual time series in 1995. This was a decrease of 27,064 (15%) from 2024.
26% of all registered deaths were reported to coroners in 2025
The number of deaths reported to coroners as a percentage of all registered deaths decreased by five percentage points when compared with 2024, to the lowest proportion since the start of the annual time series in 1995.
All deaths in England and Wales must be registered with the Registrar of Births and Deaths and statistics on all registered deaths are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS mortality statistics, based on death registrations, report the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in a particular year irrespective of whether a coroner has investigated the death.
The Ministry of Justice’s coroner statistics provide the number of deaths which are reported to coroners in England and Wales. The coroner has a duty to investigate when there is reason to believe that the cause of death is unknown or that the death was violent, unnatural, or occurred in custody or other state detention. Further background information is provided in Chapter 1 of the supporting guidance document.
On 9 September 2024, a statutory Medical Examiner system was implemented in England and Wales. The new system means that every death is subject either to a medical examiner’s scrutiny or to a coroner’s investigation, ensuring that all deaths, without exception, are subject an independent review. The new arrangements also ensure that cases are managed in the right parts of the system and, in particular, that only those deaths which require investigation are referred to the coroner. This is designed to enable better focusing of coronial resource which, in turn, is expected to support the reduction of inquest backlogs and delays. The medical examiner’s responsibilities include scrutinising the causes of death to ensure accuracy in certification and determining whether a death should be reported to the coroner.
The introduction of medical examiners aims to reduce the number of unnecessary referrals to the coroner and decrease instances where deaths are referred simply due to the absence of a doctor who can certify a cause of death. This new process may affect the volume, complexity, and timeliness of cases reported to coroners.
The number of deaths reported to coroners in 2025 decreased by 27,064 (15%) to 147,814, the lowest level since the start of the annual time series in 1995. The fall in deaths reported to coroners coincides with the introduction of the statutory Medical Examiner system in September 2024. In comparison, ONS registered deaths rose 2,404 (less than 1%)[footnote 1] from 2024 to 2025. The proportion of registered deaths in 2025 that were reported to coroners was 26%, down five percentage points from 2024.
The number of registered deaths in England, Wales and non-residents[footnote 2] had been broadly increasing, from a low of 484,367 in 2011 to 541,589 in 2018. Following a small fall in 2019, registered deaths rose to 607,922 in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic – the highest level in absolute terms since reporting began. Registered deaths fell in 2021 to 586,334 yet remained relatively stable around this level in the following two years. There was a fall in registered deaths in 2024, to 568,613. ONS provisional figures for 2025 were stable compared to 2024 (571,017).
The number of deaths reported to coroners initially followed a similar trend, from a low of 222,371 in 2011 and peaking at 241,211 in 2016. However, from 2017 to 2021 and again from 2023 to 2025, there was a decline in deaths reported to coroners, with registered deaths also decreasing in 2019, 2021 and 2024. 2022 marked the first increase in the number of deaths reported to coroners since 2016.
Figure 1: Registered deaths and deaths reported to coroners, England and Wales, 2015-2025 (Source: Table 2)
Out of England and Wales orders
To take a body of a deceased person out of England and Wales, notice must be given to the coroner within whose area the body is lying, whether or not the death is subject to investigation by the coroner. When the coroner gives permission for the removal of a body, an Out of England and Wales order is issued.
Out of England and Wales orders, as a proportion of registered deaths have consistently remained around 1%. This year coroners issued 5,517 Out of England and Wales orders, compared with 5,318 issued in 2024.
Deaths abroad
Of the 147,814 deaths reported to coroners in 2025, around 1% (1,609) were deaths that had occurred outside England and Wales. The number of reported deaths which occurred abroad increased by 5% (74 cases) in 2025 compared with 2024 (1,535 cases).
Discontinued Cases
Of the investigations without a post-mortem or inquest, a decision was made to discontinue 2,659 of them in 2025, up from 2,334, an increase of 14%, in 2024. The number of non-inquest investigations discontinued with a post-mortem was 52,678 in 2025, up from 28,571, an increase of 84%, in 2024.
Dr Martin Harris Private GP in London and expert for medical legal reports and qualified Medical Examiner RCPathME
www.private-gp-in-london.co.uk/private-gp-services/medico-legal-reports