England had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe during coronavirus pandemic: New figures reveal Birmingham had highest peak of deaths in UK
- By the end of May, England had seen the highest overall relative excess mortality out of 21 European countries compared by the Office for National Statistics
- But Spain and Italy had the highest peaks, more than anywhere in the UK
- Experts say excess deaths are the best way of measuring the impact of Covid-19
England had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe over the coronavirus pandemic, new figures have revealed.
By the end of May, England had seen the highest overall excess deaths — those above what are expected — out of 21 European countries compared by the Office for National Statistics.
But it was Spain and Italy that suffered the largest spikes in excess deaths, called ‘peaks’, suggesting they faced the hardest hits on the continent.
Bergamo, one of the first places in Europe to go into lockdown, had the highest peak in excess mortality. It saw 847.7 per cent more deaths than usual in the week ending 20 March.
The UK’s highest peak of excess deaths was recorded in Brent, at 357.5 per cent at the height of Britain’s crisis, in the week ending 17 April.
Looking at cities, the highest peak excess mortality was in Madrid at 432.7 per in the week ending 27 March.
Birmingham had the highest peak excess mortality of any major British city at 249.7 per cent in the week ending 17 April.
Experts say the best way of measuring the scale of the impact of Covid-19 is by looking at excess deaths.
These include deaths caused by Covid-19, but also those that occurred as an indirect result of the pandemic, such as if someone had a heart attack because they decided not to go to hospital.
By the end of May, England had seen the highest overall relative excess mortality out of 21 European countries compared by the Office for National Statistics. But the hardest hit nations were Italy and Spain which suffered the largest spikes
Edward Morgan, Health Analysis and Life Events, ONS said: ‘Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first half of 2020 saw extraordinary increases in mortality rates across countries in Western Europe above the 2015 to 2019 average.
‘The highest peak excess mortality at national level was in Spain, with some local areas in Northern Italy and Central Spain having excess mortality levels as high as 847.7% of the average.
‘While none of the four UK nations had a peak mortality level as high as Spain or the worst-hit local areas of Spain and Italy, excess mortality was geographically widespread throughout the UK during the pandemic, whereas it was more geographically localised in most countries of Western Europe.
‘Combined with the relatively slow downward ‘tail’ of the pandemic in the UK, this meant that by the end of May, England had seen the highest overall relative excess mortality out of all the European countries compared.’