Thread by @ONS

For the first time, we’ve published comparisons of all-cause mortality between European countries, regions and local areas from January to June 2020 and compared with the five-year average ow.ly/dOMl50AM2IX

All-cause mortality voids the issue of different countries recording #COVID19 deaths in different ways.

This measure also considers indirect impacts of the pandemic, such as delayed access to healthcare ow.ly/lnLK30r1ANG

In the UK, excess mortality was seen in every local authority area during the peak weeks (week ending 3 April to week ending 8 May 2020).

However for other Western European countries excess mortality varied by local area in this time ow.ly/xWgr30r1AO2

Excess mortality is the difference between the number of deaths in the current period and a past average ow.ly/AOs130r1AOD

At local authority level across Europe from Week 8 (week ending 21 February) to 24 (week ending 12 June), the highest rates of excess mortality were in areas in Central Spain and Northern Italy ow.ly/6S5w30r1APE

Bergamo in Northern Italy had the highest peak excess mortality of 847.7% (week ending 20 March).

In comparison, the highest peak in a UK local authority was Brent at 357.5% (week ending 17 April) ow.ly/uyA330r1AQ9

Looking at major cities, the highest peak excess mortality was in Madrid at 432.7% (week ending 27 March).

In the UK, Birmingham had the highest peak excess mortality at 249.7% (week ending 17 April) ow.ly/YlIS50AM39t

England had the highest peak excess mortality of the four UK nations at 107.6% in week ending 17 April ow.ly/CDib30r1ARe

England also saw the second-highest national peak of excess mortality from Week 8 to 24 compared with 21 European countries ow.ly/Yc2F30r1ASU

At the equivalent of local authority level, areas of Central Spain and Northern Italy saw the highest peaks of excess mortality and exceeded all parts of the UK ow.ly/ycR850AM3qG

While England didn’t have the highest peak mortality, it did have the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country compared.

This results in England having the highest levels of excess mortality in Europe for the period ow.ly/d3Nx50AM3yi