Melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK with around 19,400 new cases every year; that’s 53 every day (2019, 2021-2022). Each year around a third (32%) of all new melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2019, 2021-2022).
Our data hubs below offer an in-depth breakdown of the most up to date cancer statistics.
*These statistics are aimed at supporting health professionals, academics, researchers and media. If you are a patient or carer, you may want to visit our public facing webpages.
Melanoma skin cancer accounts for 5% of all new cancer cases in the UK, with around 9,500 new cases in females and around 9,900 new cases in males every year (2019, 2021-2022).
Explore more detailed gender stats on our data hub for melanoma skin cancer
Incidence rates for melanoma skin cancer are highest in people aged 85 to 89 in the UK, with more than 5 in 100 (7%) of all new melanoma skin cancer cases diagnosed in this age group (2019, 2021-2022).
Explore more detailed age stats on our data hub for melanoma skin cancer
Melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have increased by more than two-and-a-half-times (164%) in the UK since the early 1990s and rates have increased by around a quarter (26%) in the last decade (2019, 2021-2022).
Explore more detailed trends stats on our data hub for melanoma skin cancer
Melanoma skin cancer incidence rates in the UK are projected to increase by 8% between 2024-2026 and 2038-2040, with around 26,500 new cases each year by 2038-2040.
Explore more detailed projections stats on our data hub for melanoma skin cancer
Incidence rates for melanoma skin cancer are lower in the Asian and Black ethnic groups, compared with the White ethnic group, in England (2013-2017).
Read our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details.
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We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used.
Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics
Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here.
Data were provided by Public Health Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here.
Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales, March 2021. Data can be found here.
Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here.
