All cancers combined is the most common cause of death in the UK, accounting for more than a quarter (28%) all deaths (2016).[1-6]
In males in the UK, all cancers combined is the most common cause of death in the UK as a whole (30% of all male deaths), and in the UK countries separately (30% in England and Wales, 30% in Scotland, 31% in Northern Ireland). In females in the UK all cancers combined is the most common cause of death in the UK as a whole (26% of all female deaths), and in the UK countries separately (26% in England and Wales 26% in Scotland, 27% in Northern Ireland).
53% of deaths for all cancers combined in the UK are in males, and 47% are in females. This reflects the sex differences in cancer incidence (higher in men than women) and survival (higher in women than men).
All cancers combined mortality rates (European age-standardised ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Northern Ireland and Scotland, significantly lower than the UK average in England, and similar to the UK average in Wales.
All Cancers Combined (C00-C97), Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016
England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | UK | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | Deaths | 72829 | 8303 | 4785 | 2312 | 88229 |
Crude Rate | 266.8 | 316.0 | 311.9 | 252.6 | 272.5 | |
AS Rate | 327.2 | 378.3 | 340.8 | 347.6 | 332.7 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 324.8 | 370.2 | 331.1 | 333.4 | 330.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 329.6 | 386.4 | 350.4 | 361.7 | 334.9 | |
Female | Deaths | 64076 | 7598 | 4101 | 2131 | 77906 |
Crude Rate | 229.1 | 273.6 | 259.7 | 225.0 | 234.2 | |
AS Rate | 228.0 | 264.3 | 234.0 | 245.6 | 231.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 226.2 | 258.3 | 226.9 | 235.2 | 230.3 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 229.7 | 270.2 | 241.2 | 256.1 | 233.5 | |
Persons | Deaths | 136905 | 15901 | 8886 | 4443 | 166135 |
Crude Rate | 247.7 | 294.2 | 285.4 | 238.6 | 253.1 | |
AS Rate | 269.3 | 311.3 | 279.3 | 286.4 | 273.9 | |
AS Rate - 95% LCL | 267.9 | 306.5 | 273.5 | 278.0 | 272.5 | |
AS Rate - 95% UCL | 270.8 | 316.1 | 285.1 | 294.8 | 275.2 |


For all cancers combined, mortality differences between countries reflect something other than differences in incidence.
References
- Office for National Statistics. Deaths registered in England and Wales: 2016. Available from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregistrationsummarytables/2016. Accessed February 2018.
- National Records of Scotland. 2016 Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events - Preliminary Annual Figures. Available from http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/births-deaths-and-other-vital-events-preliminary-annual-figures/2016. Accessed February 2018.
- Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Registrar General Northern Ireland Annual Report 2016. NISRA; Available from https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/births-deaths-and-marriages/registrar-general-annual-report. Accessed February 2018.
- Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths.
- Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp.
- Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, December 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
About this data
Data is for UK, 2016, All causes mortality, ICD-10 A00-R99 - U00-Y89. All cancers combined mortality ICD-10 C00-C97.