Wellbeing

Our changing population is there for all to see 

Image of people

From finishing studies to entering the workforce, from getting married to earning the most money – everyone’s journey through adulthood is different. However, we can use a range of data to explore when key events in life are most likely to happen. Rich Pereira looks at how these milestones of adulthood have changed over the past decade and how society is shifting.

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Measuring Climate Impacts on Health

Tree with Right hand side full of leaves on health patch of grass and the other half is dead with no leaves on a dried up patch of mud

Climate related emergencies have made frequent headlines over the last few years, from record heatwaves and wildfires, to increased flood risk – but how can we measure how our climate, and the changes we are seeing, are affecting us?
Without this evidence, we cannot know the true health burden of climate change. This is where the ONS Climate & Health Project fits in – a four-year project, funded by Wellcome, which we began in February 2022. As we pass the project mid-way point, Gillian Flower reflects on the achievements so far, and the wider implications of this important work.

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Bringing together UK health statistics

Hospital corridor

Making government statistics accessible to everyone and coherent across data sets maximises the value they bring to important topics. The ONS has been working with the devolved administrations and health bodies to bring together and improve the statistical coherence of UK health data. Becky Tinsley shares an update on this work and explains how it will help create a deeper and wider understanding of health.

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Excess deaths – a new methodology and better understanding

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened interest in patterns and levels of ‘excess’ deaths, typically defined as deaths over the number that might be expected to occur in an ‘average’ year. But with different organisations using different methods to calculate excess deaths, it can be difficult to build a clear picture. Working across government and the devolved nations, we have now agreed a common UK-wide approach to producing national estimates of excess mortality. As Julie Stanborough explains, this new methodology will give us a better understanding in this complex area.

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