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Mortality continues to fall, says CMI

9 July 2025

The Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) publishes frequent mortality analysis for England & Wales through its mortality monitors. Today’s updates cover the period to 27 June 2025. 

The key points are:  

  • Overall mortality in the first half of 2025 was lower than in the first half of any other year, and 0.5% of a full year’s mortality lower than in the first half of 2024.
  • The record low for overall mortality is driven by pensioner ages and there is considerable variation by age and sex. Mortality in the first half of 2025 was 5% lower than the 2015-2024 average for males and females aged 75-84, but only 0.2% below the 2015-2024 average for males aged 45-64.
  • There were around 2,300 deaths involving COVID-19 registered in the first half of 2025 compared to around 5,300 in the first half of 2024 and 11,700 in the first half of 2023.

Cobus Daneel, Chair of the CMI Mortality Projections Committee, said: “Overall mortality in the first half of 2025 was at a historic low. For most age groups, the last twenty-four months have seen stable low levels of mortality. A notable exception to this is males aged 45-64, whose mortality remains above pre-pandemic levels.

Deaths recorded as involving COVID-19 have continued to fall, accounting for fewer than 1% of deaths in the first half of 2025.”

All mortality monitor updates are publicly available on the mortality monitor page.

~ENDS~

Notes to editors

  1. The CMI publishes mortality monitors regularly:
    • We publish a summary monitor monthly, every four or five weeks, without a press release. The next is planned for week 30 of 2025 on Wednesday 6 August 2025.
    • Each quarter we publish more detail, accompanied by a press release. The next is planned for the end of the third quarter of 2025, in October 2025.
  2.  Death certification reforms were implemented on 9 September 2024:
    • Following the reforms, the five-day period for registering a death starts on the date that the registrar receives a signed medical certificate of cause of death from the medical examiner, or relevant notification from the coroner.
    • Previously, deaths should legally have been registered within five days of the death occurring or the date on which a body was found (including weekends and bank holidays), unless a coroner was involved. 
  3. We note that results by age should currently be treated with particular caution as delays in registrations versus occurrences could have impacted different age ranges to different degrees.

 

Contact

Sonia Sequeira, Communications Lead, IFoA 
Tel: 07525 592198 
Email: sonia.sequeira@actuaries.org.uk 

 

About the Continuous Mortality Investigation

Continuous Mortality Investigation Limited (‘the CMI’) is wholly owned by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries but has an independent executive and management.

The CMI’s mission is to produce high-quality impartial analysis, standard tables and models of mortality and morbidity for long-term insurance products and pension scheme liabilities on behalf of subscribers and, in doing so, to further actuarial understanding.

 

About the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries 

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) is a royal chartered, not-for-profit, professional body.  

Research undertaken by the IFoA is not commercial.  As a learned society, research helps us to fulfil our royal charter requirements to further actuarial science and serve the public interest.   

Actuaries provide commercial, financial and prudential advice on the management of a business’s assets and liabilities, especially where long term management and planning are critical to the success of any business venture. They also advise individuals, and advise on social and public interest issues. 

Members of the IFoA have a statutory role in the supervision of pension funds and life insurance companies. They also have a statutory role to provide actuarial opinions for managing agents at Lloyd’s of London. 

Members are governed by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. A rigorous examination system is supported by a programme of continuing professional development and a professional code of conduct supports high standards reflecting the significant role of actuaries in society. 

The IFoA is available to provide independent expert comment to the media on a range of actuarial-related issues, including COVID-19 and its long term consequences, mortality, pensions, life and general insurance, health and care, finance and investment, climate change and sustainability, systems thinking, uncertainty and judgement, and risk management.