Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) statistics

An estimated 1.2 million people are living with diagnosed COPD – considerably more than the 835,000 estimated by the Department of Health in 2011. In terms of diagnosed cases, this makes COPD the second most common lung disease in the UK, after asthma. Around 2% of the whole population – 4.5% of all people aged over 40 – live with diagnosed COPD.

Our research also suggests that prevalence is growing. The number of people who have ever had a diagnosis of COPD has increased by 27% in the last decade, from under 1,600 to nearly 2,000 per 100,000. This could mean that more undiagnosed cases are being found, or that the disease is becoming more common. Changes in record-keeping could also be a factor. 

However, prevalence increased by 9% between 2008 and 2012, while record-keeping practices remained the same. Earlier research has indicated that up to two-thirds of people with COPD remain undiagnosed. New research is required to see if this is still valid, and to ascertain the current prevalence of the disease.

There was a higher proportion of people diagnosed with COPD in the north of the UK – Scotland and the North East and North West of England. This was seen throughout the years 2004–12.

115,000 people are diagnosed with COPD each year – equivalent to a new diagnosis every 5 minutes. In the five years up to 2008, incidence rates went down from 212 to 185 per 100,000. This could be due to changes in record-keeping, or could reflect a genuine fall in the number of people developing the condition. The data contrast with the rise in prevalence over the same period. Since 2008 incidence has been stable, with just under 115,000 new diagnoses recorded in 2012.

For the period 2004–13, proportionately more people were diagnosed for the first time with COPD in Scotland and the northern regions of England than in other parts of the UK.

In 2012, about 10 per cent more males than females were living with a COPD diagnosis. Throughout the years 2004–12, proportions of the population with diagnosed COPD were always higher among males than females.

In 2012, 210 males and 175 females for every 100,000 were newly diagnosed with COPD. Those figures are down from 242 for males and 209 for females in 2004.

Figures show that people living with a COPD diagnosis are mostly over the age of 40. The proportion of people living with COPD increases markedly with advancing age.

In the period 2004–12, the people who were first diagnosed with COPD were mostly over the age of 40, with the chances of developing the condition increasing as people got older.

The UK is among the top 20 countries for COPD mortality worldwide. In Europe, only Denmark and Hungary have higher death rates for COPD, while rates are higher in the United States and New Zealand than in the UK.

In 2012, 29,776 people died from COPD (5.3 per cent of the total number of UK deaths and 26.1 per cent of deaths from lung disease).

Of these, 15,245 were males and 14,531 were females. The total number of deaths was up from 28,344 in 2008.

Along with lung cancer and pneumonia, COPD is one of the three leading contributors to respiratory mortality in developed countries such as the UK.

Of the 29,776 people who died from COPD in 2012:

• 2,719 were aged 15–64; and
• 27,056 were aged 65 and above.

England: The COPD mortality rate was higher in the North East and North West of England, compared with the UK generally. In those regions, the relative increase was greater among females than males. Death rates from COPD were notably lower in the East of England and the South West than in other parts of the UK. 

Scotland: COPD mortality rates were higher than in the UK generally, but similar to northern England. The relative differences were greater among females than males.

Wales: The death rate from COPD was slightly higher than in the UK generally.

Northern Ireland: Death rates for COPD were similar to rates for the UK generally, with a slight increase among males.

England: There were higher rates of emergency admission for the North East, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber compared with the UK generally, with admission rates for females markedly higher in the North East and North West. 

In London, admission rates for males were higher, while female admission rates were similar to the UK generally. 

Admission rates were notably lower in the East of England, South East and South West than in the UK generally.

Scotland: Rates of admission were higher compared with the UK generally, with more females admitted than males. 

Wales: Rates of admission were higher compared with the UK generally, with no significant difference between males and females.

Northern Ireland: Rates of admission were higher compared with the UK generally, with more males admitted than females.

Figures for 2004–12 show that the less well off you are, the more likely you are to have been diagnosed with COPD at some time in your life. These differences are the largest, in relative terms, for any of the major lung diseases.

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