Asthma statistics

We found that 8 million people – over 12% of the population – have been diagnosed with asthma. This means more people have had an asthma diagnosis than have been diagnosed with all other lung diseases combined.

This does not mean that there are 8 million people living with the condition, however. Many children diagnosed with asthma grow out of it. Asthma UK states that around 5.4 million people receive treatment for the disease. Research has also suggested asthma maybe considerably over-diagnosed.

Further research is needed to understand if this is a more accurate indication of the number of people living with asthma in the UK. Or whether this is an underestimate due to the number of people who no longer take treatment for asthma in adulthood, despite still having symptoms. 

Our data also confirm that the number of people who have had a diagnosis of asthma is plateauing. There has only been a small increase of under 3% in recent years. However, asthma is still the most common lung condition by a considerable margin.

In most years between 2004 and 2013, a higher proportion of the population had asthma in the East Midlands, the East of England, the North West and the South West than in other parts of the UK.

Around 160,000 people a year receive an asthma diagnosis. This is more than are diagnosed with any other lung condition. However, incidence rates went down by around 10% between 2008 and 2012.

We need further research to understand why. Possible reasons include:

• Asthma is becoming less common.
• Conditions like COPD are becoming less likely to be misdiagnosed as asthma.
• Better diagnosis has reduced the backlog of cases that failed to be diagnosed in the past. Consequently, only new cases are being diagnosed.

In 2004–13, the rates of people who have developed asthma have been slightly higher in the North West and South West of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In 2012, 12,565 females per 100,000 and 12,033 males per 100,000 had asthma. Asthma occurred slightly more frequently in females than males throughout the years 2004–12.

In 2012, 284 females and 261 males per 100,000 received a first diagnosis of asthma. More females than males developed asthma throughout the period 2004–12.

Recent figures show that young adults are the group most likely to have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lifetime. Between 2004-12, lifetime prevalence of asthma has declined in children and increased in adults.

In contrast to other lung diseases, the incidence of asthma is far higher in children than in adults.

Around 1,200 people a year are recorded as dying from asthma.

Although low compared with most other lung diseases, this figure is still too high. Given the manageability of asthma, mortality should be closer to zero. The Royal College of Physicians’ report Why asthma still kills (2015) details how managing the disease more effectively could dramatically reduce mortality.

In 2012, of the 1,246 people who died from asthma, 358 were males and 888 were females.

In 2012, of the 1,246 people who died from asthma:

• 21 were aged 0–14 years old;
• 204 were aged 15–64; and
• 1,021 were aged 65 and above.

England: Death rates for asthma in the West Midlands and the South East were higher than in other parts of the UK. The South West had the lowest asthma mortality rate.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Asthma death rates were similar to the UK generally.

Asthma accounts for 60,000 hospital admissions and 200,000 bed days a year. Compared with conditions such as pneumonia and COPD, these figures are low. But like mortality rates, they are too high for such a manageable condition.

Its also worth noting that many people with asthma attend accident and emergency units without needing admission, but still adding to the burden on health services.

England: There were higher rates of emergency admission in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands than in the UK generally. There were lower admission rates in the East of England, the South East and South West. 

Notably more males were admitted in the North East, North West, West Midlands, and London.

Scotland: The admission rate among women was higher than in the UK generally.

Wales: Admission rates were comparable to those for the UK generally.

Northern Ireland: There were lower admission rates for males and females compared with the UK generally.

In 2012 incidence rates were 36% higher in the most deprived communities than in the least deprived. Prevalence is around 11% higher. These trends are broadly consistent over time. Higher levels of damp housing and fungal spores, pollution and second-hand smoke among more deprived groups could be contributing factors. But further research is needed to fully understand this link.

Find out how the numbers of people with asthma, deaths and hospital admissions were calculated: Methodology - numbers, deaths and admissions