The mortality rate fell to a record low during the second quarter of 2021 according to the latest Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) figures.
The CMI, an independent body under the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, has been publishing frequent mortality analysis since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
This latest update cover the 26th week of the year (26 June to 2 July), as well as the second quarter, and is based on ONS deaths data from England and Wales.
These quarterly figures show the average mortality rate for those aged between 20 and 100 was just 1.09 per cent during this period. This compares to a figure of 1.18 per cent in the same pre-pandemic period in 2019, which was the previous low.
The CMI has also included additional analysis by age within these figures which shows contrasting experience between those under and over 65. It is this latter group who have experienced particularly low mortality in Q2 2021. This may reflect significantly higher death rates in this age group earlier on in the pandemic.
The weekly figures show that the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in week 26 was 10 per cent below the figure record in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
These CMI figures show that there have been around 97,3000 more deaths from all causes than expected in the UK from the start of the pandemic to July 2 2021. Of these, 24,300 have occurred in 2021.
Cobus Daneel, chair of the CMI Mortality Projections Committee, says: “All cause mortality rates during the past quarter have been lower than in any previous second quarter by a significant margin.
“While the number of Covid-19 cases has continued to rise rapidly, the increase in deaths linked to Covid-19 has been more modest. This weakening of the link between cases and deaths is likely a result of the vaccination programme.”