Cervical cancer mortality statistics

Cervical cancer is the 19th most common cause of cancer death in females in the UK, accounting for 1% of all cancer deaths in females (2017-2019). In females and males combined, cervical cancer is not among the 20 most common causes of cancer death in the UK, accounting for less than 1% of all cancer deaths (2017-2019).[1-4]

Cervical cancer mortality rates (European age-standardised Open a glossary item (AS) rates) for females are significantly higher than the UK average in Scotland and Wales, and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

For cervical cancer, mortality differences between countries largely reflect differences in incidence.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Annual Average Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Female Population, UK, 2017-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Deaths 685 95 52 21 853
Crude Rate 2.4 3.4 3.3 2.2 2.5
AS Rate 2.4 3.3 3.2 2.4 2.6
AS Rate - 95% LCL 2.3 3.0 2.7 1.8 2.5
AS Rate - 95% UCL 2.6 3.7 3.7 2.9 2.7
Persons Deaths 685 95 52 21 853
Crude Rate 1.2 1.7 1.7 1.1 1.3
AS Rate 1.3 1.8 1.7 1.2 1.3
AS Rate - 95% LCL 1.2 1.6 1.4 0.9 1.3
AS Rate - 95% UCL 1.3 2.0 1.9 1.5 1.4
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate Open a glossary item

See also

Cervical cancer incidence statistics by UK region

Cerival cancer survival statistics

Cancer mortality statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, C53.

Last reviewed:

Cervical cancer mortality is related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older women. In the UK in 2017-2019, on average each year more than a quarter of deaths (28%) were in females aged 75 and over.[1-4] This is a lower proportion of deaths in older age groups compared with most cancers.

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 20-24 and more steeply from around age 65-69. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group.

Cervical Cancer (C53), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Female Population, UK, 2017-2019

See also

Cervical cancer incidence statistics by age

Cervical cancer survival statistics by age

Cancer mortality statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C53.

Last reviewed:

Cervical cancer age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item rates for females decreased by 75% in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2017-2019.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2017-2019), cervical cancer AS mortality rates for females decreased by 18%.

Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Female Population, UK, 1971-2019

For most cancer types, mortality trends largely reflect incidence and survival trends. For example, rising mortality may reflect rising incidence and stable survival, while falling mortality may reflect rising incidence and rising survival.

Cervical cancer mortality rates have varied between age groups in females in the UK since the early 1970s.[1-4] Rates in 0-19s have remained stable, in 20-24s have remained stable, in 25-34s have remained stable, in 35-49s have decreased by 66%, in 50-64s have decreased by 82%, in 65-79s have decreased by 78% and in 80+s have decreased by 68%.

Cervical Cancer (C53), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates per 100,000 Female Population, By Age, UK, 1971-2019

See also

Cervical cancer incidence trends over time

Cervical cancer survival trends over time

Cervical cancer risk factors

Cervical cancer screening trends over time

References

  1. England and Wales data were accessed from Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age, November 2021: Nomis mortality statistics by underlying cause, sex and age.
  2. Scotland data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, November 2021. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications/index.asp(link is external).
  3. Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, February 2022. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.
  4. Population data were published by the Office for National statistics, accessed July 2020. The data can be found here: Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, provisional: mid-2019.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1971-2019, C53.

Cancers in children and young people (aged 0-24) are best classified using a different system to cancers in adults, so the figures presented here may not correspond with those elsewhere.

Last reviewed:

Projections of cervical cancer mortality are complex because there are many variables involved, including changing uptake and format of cervical screening and HPV vaccinations. Projections which reflect past trends in cancer mortality suggest that cervical cancer mortality will fall slightly in future decades.[1] These projections do not model the possible impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer incidence rates, and the subsequent impact on mortality rates. If cervical cancer incidence rates fall markedly in future decades as projected,[2] cervical cancer mortality rates may also fall more markedly than projections based on past trends would suggest.

References

  1. Smittenaar CR, Petersen KA, Stewart K, Moitt N. Cancer Incidence and Mortality Projections in the UK Until 2035. Brit J Cancer 2016.
  2. Castanon A, Landy R, Pesola F, Windridge P, Sasieni P. Prediction of cervical cancer incidence in England, UK, up to 2040, under four scenarios: a modelling study. Lancet Public Health 2018;3(1):e34-e43.
Last reviewed:

  • Mortality rates for cervical and uterine cancer in the UK are 47% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least.
  • Around 630 deaths from cervical and uterine cancer each year in the UK are linked with deprivation.

Further mortality by deprivation statistics and charts can be found on the Cancer Research UK's Cancer Statistics Data Hub.

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

See information and explanations on terminology used for statistics and reporting of cancer, and the methods used to calculate some of our statistics.

Cancer stats explained

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