There were over 600,000 death registrations in 2020

This is higher than every year in England and Wales since 1918.

An erroneous image on social media claims there were 561,529 death registrations in 2020. This image uses the Office for National Statistics logo.

Citing this image: Piers Corbyn, a London mayoral candidate, asserted:

THERE’S NO PANDEMIC!

This number for 2020 is false: there were 608,002 death registrations in England and Wales.

A false image

The table, spread on social media, shows:

(Image: Twitter/Piers Corbyn)

There are three years where the stated figure is incorrect:

• 1998: the number of death registrations in England and Wales was 553,435. That is about 12,000 higher than what the Twitter table shows.
• 2010: there is a typographical error here: it should be 493,242.
• 2020: the provisional number is around 46,000 deaths higher than the stated figure.

This is a major error. In particular, the 2020 figure is not from the ONS. Corbyn claims:

Total deaths were higher 1990, 91, 95, 96 yet we didn’t trash the economy, jobs & freedom.