Alcohol deaths up almost 19% during pandemic, greatest increase since 2001

Deaths from alcohol in 2020 were up almost 19 per cent compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In total, 8,974 deaths resulting from alcohol misuse were recorded in the UK in 2020. This is the largest single-year increase since the ONS started collecting this data in 2001.