New official statistics from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU) show that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Wales, accounting for over a quarter of all deaths in 2025.

In 2025, there were 9,053 deaths from cancer.

While the annual number of cancer deaths had been rising slowly before the pandemic, largely due to an ageing population, the recent figures show a slight decrease compared with both 2024 and pre-pandemic levels.

It is not yet clear whether this trend will continue.

When changes in population size, age and sex structure are taken into account, cancer death rates have fallen in men but remained broadly stable in women.

The longer-term impact of the pandemic on cancer mortality is still uncertain and continues to be monitored and studied.

Four cancers: lung, bowel (colorectal), prostate and female breast together accounted for over four in ten (44 per cent) cancer deaths in 2025.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, responsible for two in ten deaths (20 per cent), followed by bowel cancer.

Nearly six in ten (59 per cent) cancer deaths occurred in people aged 75 and over in 2025.

This increased from nearly 5 in 10 (48 per cent) in 2002, reflecting the ageing population structure in Wales.

Most deaths for the main four cancer types also occur in this older age group.

The cancer death rate remains considerably higher in the most deprived areas of Wales compared to the least deprived areas, with little change over time.

In 2025, the cancer death rate was one-and-a-half times (54 per cent) higher in the most deprived areas.

Professor Dyfed Wyn Huws, Director of WCISU, said: “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.”