London's rough sleeping shame: Nearly 1,900 homeless people die in the capital in 13 years

More homeless people are passing away on the capital’s streets or in emergency accommodation than a decade ago, official figures reveal
Burnham Pledges To Get Rough Sleepers Off Streets By Christmas

Allow Exco Player content

This content is provided by Exco Player and may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content.

WEST END FINAL

Nearly 1,900 homeless people have died in London in 13 years, shock figures reveal.

They show that an estimated 151 people sleeping rough on the capital’s streets, or in emergency or temporary accommodation, passed away last year.

The figure was down from a peak of 201 in 2024 and a total of 1,872 since 2013, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Andy Burnham has vowed to end rough sleeping in England
PA

The highest number of homeless deaths was in Westminster, 14 in 2025 and 192 over the 13-year period.

Government ministers have told of London’s shame at the level of homelessness on the city’s streets, which they see as they head into the Commons.

The joint second highest figure was Lambeth and Camden, both ten fatalities last year.

In the five years to 2025, 820 homeless people died in the capital, compared to 665 in the five years from 2013.

“People experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable in society and often experience significantly worse health outcomes than the wider population,” said David Mais, Head of Mortality Statistics at the ONS.

“These statistics help build a clearer picture of the impact of homelessness-related deaths and can support services, charities and policymakers in their efforts to save lives.”

People walk past a homeless man asleep on the floor on Oxford Street
Getty

London had the highest number of deaths of homeless people, at 151, followed by the North West (146) and the South East (144).

But the fatality rate in the capital was in line with the average for England and Wales at 21.3 deaths per million people.

The highest rate in England was in the North West at 25.5, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 24.4 and the East Midlands 20.9.

Mairi Macrae, director of campaigns, policy and communications at charity Shelter, said: “Nobody should be forced to sleep in a freezing alleyway or a flimsy tent, battling to stay warm and terrified of what the night will bring.

“And yet sadly, many of the people represented in these death stats have had to do that because of a dire lack of genuinely affordable and secure homes.”

Accidents were the largest underlying cause of death for homeless people in every year between 2013 and 2025, with an estimated 380 such fatalities in England and Wales last year, or 39% of the 974 total.

Shockingly, the 974 figure was 77% higher than the 550 in 2013.

Intentional self-harm accounted for 84 deaths, or 8.6%, last year, diseases of the liver 67 or 6.9% and ischaemic heart diseases 55 or 5.6%.

People leaving Piccadilly Circus Tube station pass a rough sleeper
AFP/Getty

Other cities with a high number of rough sleepers dying were Birmingham, 29, Cardiff 22, Bristol 18, and 17 in Manchester, Southampton, and Brighton and Hove.

More than eight out of ten homeless people dying were men.

The average age for these individuals passing away was 47.3 for men and 43.2 for women.