A century later: England, Wales record highest number of annual deaths in 2020

• Over 600,000 deaths reported in 2020
• Last time annual death toll topped 600,000 was in 1918 when the Spanish flu pandemic struck

LONDON: With coronavirus pandemic claiming over 600,000 lives, England and Wales have recorded the most deaths in 2020 of any year in more than a century. 

At least 604,000 people died of COVID-19 in both countries in the past 52 weeks - about 73,000 or 14% above the five-year average, said Nick Stripe from Britain's Office of National Statistics. 

Only one year, i.e. 1918, saw annual deaths top 600,000. That was the year the Spanish flu pandemic struck. 

“Looking at excess deaths, we began the year with death levels below the 5-yr average. This was followed by a huge peak in the spring, driven by COVID, until lockdown 1 took effect.”

Stripe said the figures indicated that the number of excess deaths, adjusted for population, would be at the highest level since 1940.

“Even with measures taken to limit COVID spread, 2020 will still top 1951, the year of a major flu epidemic,” he said. “Without all our efforts, 2020 could have been much worse.”