The Coroners statistics for England and Wales for 2025

The Coroners statistics for England and Wales for 2025 were published on 14 May 2026. In 2025, activity in the coroner system in England and Wales declined overall, with 147,800 deaths reported—the lowest level since 1995—and just 26% of all registered deaths referred. Despite this reduction, the cases handled were often more complex, reflected in 51% requiring a post-mortem and a record-high 24% progressing to inquest, even as the total number of inquests opened fell slightly to 36,000. Inquest conclusions also decreased marginally, with a notable 24% fall in natural causes findings. At the same time, deaths in state detention rose by 13% to their highest level since 2017, driven by increases in both prison custody and Mental Health Act detention deaths. While the average time to complete an inquest remained stable at 31.3 weeks, there were fewer Prevention of Future Deaths reports issued, down 8% compared with the previous year, indicating a shift in both the volume and nature of cases coming before coroners.

The full report is available on .GOV.UK