Over 1,400 homeless people died in 2023, a 12% increase in fatalities compared with 2022, new research has shown.

Museum of Homelessness’s (MOH) statistics include people sleeping rough as well as those placed in emergency accommodation and other insecure settings.

Each fatality was verified by a freedom of information request, coroners’ report, charity or family member. MOH will be hosting a national vigil outside Downing Street on 17 October to remember those who have died.

MOH’s research found:

  • An emergency on the streets of the UK with the deaths of people sleeping rough up by 42% in one year vs 2022 across the UK
  • 20% more young adults experiencing homelessness completed suicide
  • People experiencing homelessness are at least three times more likely to be murdered
  • The data shows stark regional inequalities in England with people in rural areas dying up to ten years younger and the North East being highest death rate outside London.

MOH’s Strategic Lead, Gill Taylor, said: “We are deeply concerned that people who experience homelessness in Northern England are hit with a double blow of inequality; not only by the experience of homelessness but also by the far-reaching intergenerational inequalities felt time and again by northern towns and cities. 15 years of austerity has made this much worse and we need urgent action from the new government.”

MOH says there is evidence of a consistent crisis across the UK, with ‘deaths of despair’ (drugs, alcohol or suicide) making up the largest proportion of cause of death in the community of people experiencing homelessness.

Where the cause of death is known, these deaths make up almost half of the total (47%). For example, the investigation documented a 59% increase in the number of people who died whilst homeless in Cardiff, with 58% of those deaths fitting the category of ‘deaths of despair’.

Furthermore, the deaths of people sleeping rough has increased by 42% compared to a 27% rise in the number of people sleeping rough. MOH says this increase is likely due to the reduction in ‘off the streets’ accommodation and in particular the widespread closure of winter shelters since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.

MOH found that people experiencing homelessness are at least three times more likely to be murdered, with the investigation showing that people are especially vulnerable to a violent death when needing to rely on someone else for shelter or help.

Of 39 total suicides, 18 (47%) were of people under 35 years old which represents a 20% increase compared with MOH’s findings in 2022.

MOH says there is growing evidence nationally about the burden of mental distress young people are carrying, and in particular on LGBTQ+ young people.

Although whole population data suggests the age group most at risk of suicide is those between 45-54, MOH’s findings suggest that homeless young people face discrete risks around suicide that should be considered a priority for action

Co-director Matt Turtle said: “The systems of care for people living with poverty and homelessness is in tatters after 15 years of cuts and corruption. This could not be laid out more starkly than in these findings. As yet the new government has not set out plans to mitigate the damage caused by the last government. Our analysis indicates things are set to get much grimmer, unless the government acts now to save lives.”

MOH’s full report is available here.