On Thursday, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) published a report on excess mortality and Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland up to December 2021.

It shows that there were 3,269 excess deaths from March 2020 to December 2021, 11.3 per cent above expected levels. The figures also show that in the same period, there were 4,036 Covid-19 related deaths.

In the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area excess deaths (215) exceeded the number of Covid-19 related deaths (165). 

Excess deaths are a mathematical concept based on the difference between actual deaths from all causes in a period minus the expected number of deaths based on the average deaths for the same period over the previous five years.

Just under three-quarters of excess deaths (72.7 per cent) and Covid‑19 related deaths (73.5 per cent) were those aged 75 and over.

The number of deaths in hospitals was higher (+4.5 per cent) than expected levels, as a net effect of 2,871 Covid‑19 related deaths occurring in hospitals but 2,207 fewer non Covid-19 deaths in hospital. In contrast, there were more non Covid-19 deaths occurring at home: combined with the 319 Covid‑19 related deaths at home, this resulted in the majority of excess deaths (2,620) occurring at home, an increase of 32.4 per cent above historic levels.

Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon LGD had the largest number of excess deaths (435 or 15.0 per cent above expected levels). Antrim & Newtownabbey LGD had the highest excess deaths as a proportion above expected levels (15.6 per cent), while Belfast LGD had the lowest (6.4 per cent).

Excess deaths were higher in rural areas (15.3 per cent) compared to urban areas (9.4 per cent above historic levels). This was most notable in the second half of 2021, where the number of deaths in rural areas was 23.3 per cent above expected levels.

In the first two waves of the pandemic (March 2020 to June 2021), the number of deaths where Covid-19 was found to be the underlying cause (2,592) exceeded excess mortality in this period (2,112). Noteworthy levels of excess deaths were found for diseases of the digestive system (114 above historical levels) and malignant neoplasm (143 above historical levels).