11 May 2026
Today (Monday 11 May 2026), the ONS published its annual report on alcohol-specific deaths. The report finds that:
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9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK, the lowest number since 2021 (9,641 deaths).
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The rate of alcohol-specific deaths (14.8 per 100,000 people) decreased to its lowest recorded number since 2020 (13.9 deaths per 100,000 people).
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Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths (20.9 and 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively), with a decrease in the rate in Scotland and an increase in Northern Ireland when compared with 2023.
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The North East had the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths of any English region (21.1 deaths per 100,000)
Simon Phillips, CEO of drug and alcohol treatment provider, WithYou, said:
“The latest statistics show a reduction in alcohol-related deaths in the UK. This represents a step in the right direction, but we must meet it with caution, not celebration. Even a single preventable death is one too many. Behind every number is a person with a family and a community. Their loss is a tragedy.
“Whilst numbers in treatment are rising and there has been investment in recent years, according to the Institute for Alcohol Studies - citing NDTMS data - over 75% of people with alcohol dependency are still not accessing the treatment they need.
“The underlying challenges are pervasive and deeply concerning. Despite investment in recent years, services continue to be under pressure after years of chronic underfunding. Further, policy failures have prevented alcohol treatment from progressing. The last UK Government alcohol strategy was published more than ten years ago, but alcohol-related deaths have been rising since 2001.
“Reducing alcohol harm in the UK requires a sustained, real-terms increase in investment in treatment services, so that organisations like WithYou can continue to have a positive impact on people's lives. We want to see an evidence-based alcohol strategy for the whole country, and greater focus on addressing the underlying social and economic factors that contribute to alcohol-related harm, including isolation and poor mental health.
We owe it to those we have lost, and to those who are suffering today, to ensure that preventable deaths continue to fall.
