Alcohol specific mortality
UK overview
In 2024, alcohol-specific deaths in the UK fell for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, with 9,809 deaths recorded, representing a modest reduction from the peak observed in 2023 and the lowest rate since 2020 (14.8 per 100,000 population). However, mortality remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels and is described by the Institute of Alcohol Studies as unacceptably high.
There are marked inequalities in alcohol-related harm, with higher rates observed in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and within England, the North East experiencing the highest rates compared to the lowest in London. Men continue to be disproportionately affected, with mortality rates almost double those of women, and while rates have declined among those aged 25–79, they have increased in those aged 80 and over.
Key drivers include socio-economic deprivation, cost-of-living pressures, and the widespread availability of low-cost alcohol, with evidence highlighting a strong association between deprivation and alcohol-related harm.
Comparing East Riding rates of alcohol specific mortality to England and other local authorities
Use the interactive PowerBi dashboard below to compare the East Riding alcohol specific mortality rate to other local authorities and the England average. To view a larger sized version of this PowerBi dashboard, please use this link.
Alcohol specific mortality within the communities of the East Riding
During the 3 year period 2022 to 2024, the rate of alcohol specific mortality within the most deprived 20% of areas in the East Riding (using IMD 2025 local deprivation quintiles/bands) was calculated to be 23.9 per 100,000 population. This was significantly higher than the East Riding average (10.1 per 100,000) and 4 times higher than the rate recorded for the least deprived East Riding quintile (6.1 per 100,000).
The chart below displays the alcohol specific mortality rates of the East Riding local authority average (red line) between 2011-13 and 2022-24, along with the rates for the most and least deprived quintiles (navy blue and purple coloured lines respectively). The missing periods for the least deprived quintile are due to the small counts of alcohol related deaths occurring, which weren’t high enough to calculate a directly standardised rate (DSR).
Across all periods shown, alcohol-specific mortality rates were higher in the most deprived quintile than the East Riding average, while rates in the least deprived quintile remained lower. The increase in rates among the most deprived quintile is evident from the 2018-20 period, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and continued to rise over the following three consecutive periods before declining for the first time in 2022-24. The gap between the most and least deprived quintiles widened substantially, increasing from a directly standardised rate difference of 9 per 100,000 in 2018-20 to 20 per 100,000 in 2021-23.
Further information
- Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – Office for National Statistics
- Alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales by local authority
- Drug and Alcohol Services – East Riding Partnership