Coroners Statistics 2025: Key Trends
On 14 May 2026, the Ministry of Justice released Coroners Statistics 2026, summarising deaths reported to coroners in England and Wales last year.
Headline findings:
- Number of reported deaths: 147,800 deaths were reported to coroners in 2025, a 15% decrease from the previous year and the lowest figure since 1995.
- Proportion of registered deaths reported to coroners: 26% in 2025; a decrease of 5% from the previous year.
- Deaths in state detention: 622 were reported to coroners in 2025; up from 549 in 2024. This increase was driven by an 8% rise in deaths of those in prison custody and a 21% rise in deaths of those in Mental Health Act detention.
- Proportion of post-mortem examinations carried out: 75,900 post-mortem examinations were ordered by coroners in 2025, a 7% fall compared to 2024. The proportion of reported deaths requiring a post-mortem increased by five percentage points over the same period.
- Inquests opened: 36,000 in 2025, down 2% from the previous year. As a proportion of deaths reported, the number of inquests opened is at its highest level since the start of the annual time series in 1995, at 24%.
- Inquest conclusions: 39,100 inquest conclusions were recorded in 2025, a 1% decrease from the previous year.
Comment:
The 2025 statistics show a 15% decrease in deaths reported to coroners, totalling 147,814 – the lowest since 1995. The report credits this to the introduction of the statutory Medical Examiner (”ME”) system, which independently scrutinises all deaths before certification or referral.
The impact of the new system can also be seen in the sharp decline in “natural causes” conclusions at inquests, which fell by 24% in 2025. This is unsurprising given that many deaths previously referred due to the absence of a certifying doctor or uncertainty over certification are now likely being resolved using ME scrutiny before coronial involvement.
Despite the overall reduction in referrals, the proportion of reported deaths resulting in an inquest has risen to 24% – the highest on record – indicating that coroners are increasingly dealing with more complex and publicly significant cases.
One of the more striking aspects of the report is the increase in deaths in state detention, which rose by 13% overall. The figures include an 8% increase in deaths in prison custody and a 21% increase in deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act. Although these still represent a small proportion of coronial work, the increase is likely to attract attention given the mandatory investigative obligations and ongoing pressures in custodial and mental health settings.
Finally, there was an 8% reduction in Prevention of Future Death (PFD) reports in 2025. It is not yet clear whether this reflects fewer systemic failings, changes in coronial practice, or the changing profile of cases now reaching coroners, but the trend is notable against a background of continuing concern about detention deaths, alongside the resilience of public services.
You can read the full report and analysis on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2025/coroners-statistics-2025-england-and-wales
Jessica is accepting instructions in the Inquests and Inquiries Team.
