Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Wales, accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths in 2025, according to the latest figures from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU). While there has been a small drop in the overall number of cancer deaths, stark inequalities between communities show no signs of improvement.
In total, 9,053 people died from cancer in 2025. This represents a slight decrease compared with 2024 and levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, following years of gradual increases largely driven by an ageing population. However, analysts caution that it is too early to determine whether this signals a longer-term trend.
When adjusted for population size, age and sex, cancer mortality rates have declined in men but remained broadly stable in women. The long-term effects of the pandemic on cancer outcomes are still unclear and continue to be closely monitored.
Four cancers account for nearly half of deaths
Lung, bowel (colorectal), prostate and female breast cancers continue to dominate mortality figures, together accounting for 44% of all cancer deaths in 2025. Lung cancer alone remains the leading cause, responsible for 20% of deaths, followed by bowel cancer.
The data also highlights the growing impact of an ageing population. Nearly 59% of cancer deaths occurred among people aged 75 and over in 2025, compared with 48% in 2002. This shift reflects demographic changes and places increasing pressure on health and care services.
Deprivation gap shows no improvement
Despite advances in treatment and early diagnosis, inequalities in cancer mortality remain deeply entrenched. People living in the most deprived areas of Wales experience significantly worse outcomes, with cancer death rates 54% higher than in the least deprived communities.
Crucially, this gap has shown little change over time, underlining ongoing challenges in achieving equitable healthcare access and outcomes.
Call for stronger focus on prevention and access
Professor Dyfed Wyn Huws, Director of WCISU, emphasised both the progress made and the scale of the challenge ahead:
“This latest data highlights that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Wales, accounting for over a quarter of all deaths recorded in 2025. While our latest statistics show that the number of cancer deaths slightly decreased in 2025 compared to a trend of annual increases for many years, it is still too early to understand whether this reflects a sustained change following the pandemic.
“Four cancers including lung, bowel, prostate and female breast together continue to account for over four in ten cancer deaths, with lung cancer remaining the leading cause. Most deaths from cancer occur in people aged 75 and over, reflecting the ageing population.
“Inequalities also remain stark as cancer death rates are over one-and-a-half times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived, and this gap has shown little improvement over time.
“This underlines the continued importance of prevention, early diagnosis and equitable and fair access to treatment and care according to need. Supporting the uptake of bowel, cervical and breast cancer screening programmes and cancer prevention vaccination programmes against HPV and hepatitis B is so important. Improving access to primary care and diagnostic tests, including through Rapid Diagnostic Centres, and addressing the wider determinants of health will all be essential to reducing the burden of cancer and narrowing inequalities across Wales.”
Implications for NHS leaders and policymakers
For NHS leaders and health sector professionals, the findings reinforce several priorities:
- Increasing uptake of cancer screening programmes
- Expanding early diagnosis pathways, including Rapid Diagnostic Centres
- Tackling barriers to primary care access
- Addressing wider determinants of health such as deprivation and lifestyle factors
While the marginal reduction in deaths may offer cautious optimism, the persistent inequality gap highlights the need for sustained, targeted intervention.
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