Excess winter mortality

The phenomenon of excess winter deaths is not unique to the United Kingdom but the incidence is markedly higher than for countries with similar climates and living standards.

Excess winter deaths are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July)

Winter mortality in other European countries reveals some surprising trends. The countries with the highest winter death rate are Portugal and Spain. The explanation for this unexpected occurrence probably lies in the quality of a housing stock that is not built to protect from cold weather and in the comparative poverty in some regions of these countries. A better comparison can be made between Great Britain and other affluent countries of northern Europe. Whilst it is generally agreed that factors affecting excess winter mortality are varied and complex there is a strong relationship between thermal standards in housing and excess winter deaths.

[1] Healy, JD, Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk factors, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2003; Volume 57, Number 10