What people die of

Death, or mortality, is an inevitable part of natural life. Monitoring data related to mortality can give insights as to the health of a population and can inform interventions to improve public health.

The latest Herefordshire Mortality Briefing can be downloaded from the ‘Related Documents’ section of the page on the right. This briefing includes deaths registered up to 2023.

Main messages from the Herefordshire Mortality Briefing 2023

• In 2023 there were 2,420 registered deaths of Herefordshire residents
• There has been a gradual increase in registered deaths over the last decade due to ageing population structure (1,990 to 2,000 a year prior to 2014).
• Cancer and circulatory disease are the two biggest causes of death, accounting for 50% of all deaths.
• Since 2001, around one fifth of all deaths have been either preventable or treatable. Around two-thirds of preventable deaths have been among males.
• The mortality rate is 30% higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived. These differences are driven by deaths from respiratory and circulatory diseases.
• Average of 18 deaths by suicide registered per year (2001 to 2023) ranging from 12 to 27 Suicide mortality rate in line with England’s and stable over this period.