Northern Ireland registered 4,447 deaths in the fourth quarter of 2025, from October to December. The NI Statistics and Research Agency released the data on April 2, 2026, at 9:30am.

Cancer caused 1,196 deaths, or 26.9% of the total. Circulatory disease accounted for 914 deaths, or 20.6%. Respiratory diseases, excluding Covid-19, led to 630 deaths, or 14.2%.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease ranked as the top cause of death for all persons. The same held for females. For males, ischaemic heart disease topped the list.

Expected deaths for the quarter stood at 4,846. This resulted in 399 fewer deaths than anticipated.

Age-specific death rates rose sharply with age. Rates reached 120.23 per 1,000 for those aged 85 to 89, and 250.63 for those 90 and over.

Births totaled 4,576, extending a decline observed for over ten years. Marriages numbered 1,470, and civil partnerships 21.