11,000
Lung disease deaths each year estimated to be linked to past exposures at work
1.9 million
Workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) in 2024/25 (LFS)
Occupational lung diseases contributing to estimated annual current deaths
Occupational lung diseases contributing to estimated annual current deaths
| Diseases | Percentage of deaths (%) |
|---|---|
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | 35% |
| Non-asbestos related lung cancer | 23% |
| Asbestos related lung cancer | 20% |
| Mesothelioma | 20% |
| Other disease | 3% |
New and long-standing cases of work-related ill health by type, 2024/25
New and long-standing cases of work-related ill health by type, 2024/25
| Type of illness | Percentage of workers (%) |
|---|---|
| Stress, depression or anxiety | 52% |
| Musculoskeletal disorders | 27% |
| Other type of illness | 21% |
Change over time
- In the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work-related ill health had been broadly flat. The rates in each of the latest three years are higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus level, with a rate of 5,360 cases per 100,000 workers in 2024/25.
- A chart showing how the ill health rates have changed over time can be found in the Historical picture statistics in Great Britain report
Notes
- Occupational lung diseases typically have a long latency (they take a long time to develop following exposure to the agent that caused them). Therefore, current deaths reflect the effect of past working conditions.
- Estimates of work-related ill health are based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
More information on Ill health
Occupational lung disease
- Occupational lung disease
- Work-related asthma
- Work-related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Silicosis and coal workers pneumoconiosis
- Other occupational lung disease
Asbestos-related disease
- All asbestos-related diseases
- Mesothelioma
- Mesothelioma deaths by geographical area
- Mesothelioma deaths by last occupation
- Mesothelioma deaths by geographical area interactive story map
- Asbestosis deaths by geographical area interactive story map