Cancer death rates remain 54% higher in Wales’ poorest communities

Mark Mansfield

Cancer death rates in the most deprived parts of Wales remain more than 50% higher than in the least deprived areas, with little sign of the gap narrowing despite wider improvements in cancer care, new figures show.

Statistics published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU) show cancer remained the leading cause of death in Wales in 2025, accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths.

There were 9,053 cancer deaths recorded during the year. While that represented a slight fall compared with 2024 and pre-pandemic levels, experts said it was too early to know whether this marked the beginning of a longer-term trend.

The figures reveal that people living in the most deprived communities continued to face significantly worse outcomes, with cancer death rates 54% higher than in the least deprived areas – a disparity that has changed little over time.

Lung cancer remained the biggest cause of cancer deaths in Wales, accounting for one in five deaths from the disease. Together, lung, bowel, prostate and female breast cancers were responsible for 44% of all cancer deaths in 2025.

The statistics also reflect Wales’ ageing population, with almost six in 10 cancer deaths occurring among people aged 75 and over, compared with fewer than half in 2002.

When differences in population size and age are taken into account, cancer death rates have continued to fall among men but have remained broadly unchanged among women.

Professor Dyfed Wyn Huws, director of WCISU, said the figures highlighted both the scale of the challenge and the persistent inequalities in cancer outcomes.

“This latest data highlights that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Wales, accounting for over a quarter of all deaths recorded in 2025,” he said.

“While our latest statistics show that the number of cancer deaths slightly decreased in 2025 compared to a trend of annual increases for many years, it is still too early to understand whether this reflects a sustained change following the pandemic.

“Four cancers including lung, bowel, prostate and female breast together continue to account for over four in ten cancer deaths, with lung cancer remaining the leading cause. Most deaths from cancer occur in people aged 75 and over, reflecting the ageing population.”

‘Stark’

Professor Huws said the continuing gap between richer and poorer communities underlined the need to improve access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

“Inequalities also remain stark as cancer death rates are over one-and-a-half times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived, and this gap has shown little improvement over time.

“This underlines the continued importance of prevention, early diagnosis and equitable and fair access to treatment and care according to need.”

He said increasing uptake of bowel, breast and cervical screening, alongside HPV and hepatitis B vaccination programmes, would be vital, together with improving access to primary care, diagnostic testing and Rapid Diagnostic Centres to help reduce inequalities across Wales.