Around 3.0 million adults were widowed in England and Wales at the 2021 Census, about 6.1% of everyone aged 16 and over, and roughly three in four of them were women (ONS, Census 2021, published February 2023).
This page pulls together the current official figures on widows and widowers, why the two totals differ so sharply, and how the numbers have changed since 2011. The statistics below come from named official sources, mainly the Office for National Statistics, and each is dated at its point of use. Where a figure touches inheritance tax, the tax figures are current as at July 2026 and subject to change.
Key figures at a glance
At the 2021 Census, about 3.0 million adults in England and Wales were widowed, down from 3.2 million ten years earlier, a fall of 6.3% (ONS, Census 2021). Widowhood is heavily skewed by sex and age, as the table sets out.
| Figure | Value | Source (reference period) |
|---|---|---|
| Adults widowed, England and Wales | 3.0 million (6.1% of those aged 16+) | ONS Census 2021 (2021) |
| Women widowed | 2.2 million (9.0% of females aged 16+) | ONS Census 2021 (2021) |
| Men widowed | 730,000 (3.1% of males aged 16+) | ONS Census 2021 (2021) |
| Change in widowed total, 2011 to 2021 | Down 6.3% (from 3.2 million) | ONS Census 2021 (2011–2021) |
| Deaths registered, England and Wales | 577,160 | ONS death registration summary (2022) |
Figures for widowed adults are rounded as published by the ONS and include surviving civil partners. Percentages are of the population aged 16 and over. Census figures cover England and Wales only.
How many widows and widowers are there?
About 3.0 million adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales were widowed at the 2021 Census, equivalent to roughly 6.1% of the adult population (ONS, Census 2021, published February 2023). The ONS category counts people whose most recent legal marriage or civil partnership ended when their spouse or partner died, and it includes surviving civil partners.
For a sense of scale on how bereavement arises each year, 577,160 deaths were registered in England and Wales in 2022 (ONS, death registration summary statistics, 2022). Not every death creates a widow or widower, since many who die are unmarried, divorced or already widowed, but the annual death total helps explain why the widowed population runs into the millions.
Widows compared with widowers
Widows heavily outnumber widowers. At the 2021 Census, about 2.2 million women were widowed (9.0% of females aged 16 and over) against roughly 730,000 men (3.1% of males aged 16 and over), so women made up close to three-quarters of the widowed population (ONS, Census 2021).
Two long-standing patterns drive this gap. Women tend to live longer than men on average, and wives are often slightly younger than their husbands, so a woman is statistically more likely to outlive her spouse. The ONS also publishes a median age of becoming a widow or widower from its Longitudinal Study, which shows that widowhood generally happens in later life rather than early adulthood (ONS Longitudinal Study, England and Wales, 1971 to 2019).
The trend over time
The widowed population has been shrinking as a share of adults, not growing. The total fell from 3.2 million in 2011 to 3.0 million in 2021, a 6.3% drop, even though the adult population grew over the same period (ONS, Census 2021). The decline was concentrated among women.
| Group | 2011 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All widowed adults | 3.2 million | 3.0 million | Down 6.3% |
| Widowed men | 720,000 (3.8%) | 730,000 (3.1%) | Up 0.6% |
| Widowed women aged 80–84 | 58.9% of that age group | 48.8% of that age group | Down |
Source: ONS, Census 2021, marriage and civil partnership status, England and Wales (reference years 2011 and 2021). The number of widowed men rose slightly while the percentage fell, because the male population grew faster than the widowed count.
What the numbers mean
The headline story is a falling share of widowed adults, driven mainly by women being widowed later. The 2021 Census shows the widowed total down 6.3% on 2011, with the sharpest falls among older women, for example the 80 to 84 age group dropping from 58.9% to 48.8% widowed (ONS, Census 2021). In our reading, a narrowing gap in life expectancy between men and women, together with more remarriage at older ages, helps explain why fewer people are widowed than a decade earlier.
For estate planning, the sex imbalance matters because a large majority of widowed people are women, and in many couples the surviving partner deals with the estate, the paperwork and the tax position alone. Transfers between spouses and civil partners are generally exempt from inheritance tax, and any unused nil-rate band, currently £325,000 per person, can usually pass to the survivor to use on the second death (gov.uk, inheritance tax, as at July 2026, subject to change). That transferable allowance is one reason a surviving spouse's own later planning can look quite different from a first-time plan.
These figures describe a population, not any one household, so they cannot tell you what applies in a particular case. Someone recently widowed often reviews the will, any lasting power of attorney, and the inheritance tax position together, and where an estate needs administering it may pass through probate. Our estate planning guide sets out how those pieces fit, our explainer on What Is Probate? covers the administration itself, and the wider data on deaths and estates gives more context on what happens after a death.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a named official source and was checked against the live publication in July 2026. The widowed population figures are Census 2021 estimates for England and Wales, which the ONS derives from self-reported legal marital and civil partnership status and includes surviving civil partners in the widowed category.
- Widowed population, by sex and age, 2011 and 2021: ONS, Marriage and civil partnership status in England and Wales: Census 2021 (published 22 February 2023).
- Deaths registered, 2022: ONS, Death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2022.
- Age of becoming widowed: ONS Longitudinal Study, average age of becoming a widow(er), England and Wales, 1971 to 2019.
- Inheritance tax allowances and spouse exemption: gov.uk, Inheritance Tax (figures as at July 2026, subject to change).
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Census 2021 widowhood figures above cover England and Wales only. Scotland's census is run separately by National Records of Scotland, and Northern Ireland's by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, each on its own timetable and published separately. Succession and inheritance rules also differ: Scotland has its own law of succession, including legal rights for a surviving spouse or civil partner. Anyone comparing figures across the UK nations generally needs to read each statistics agency's own release rather than assume the England and Wales numbers apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many widows and widowers are there in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, about 3.0 million adults aged 16 and over were widowed in England and Wales, around 6.1% of the adult population, of whom roughly 2.2 million were women and 730,000 men (ONS, Census 2021). Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own separate census figures.
Are there more widows or widowers?
There are far more widows than widowers. The 2021 Census recorded about 2.2 million widowed women against roughly 730,000 widowed men in England and Wales, so women made up close to three-quarters of the widowed population (ONS, Census 2021). Longer average female life expectancy is a large part of the reason.
At what age do people usually become widowed?
Widowhood generally happens in later life rather than early adulthood. The ONS publishes a median age of becoming a widow or widower from its Longitudinal Study for England and Wales covering 1971 to 2019, which points to older ages (ONS Longitudinal Study). Individual circumstances vary widely, so the average tells you little about any single case.
Do widows and widowers pay inheritance tax when their spouse dies?
Usually not on assets passing between them. Transfers between spouses and civil partners are generally exempt from inheritance tax, and any unused nil-rate band, currently £325,000 per person, can typically pass to the survivor for use on the second death (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Every estate differs, so many people discuss their position with a qualified professional.
How many deaths are registered in England and Wales each year?
There were 577,160 deaths registered in England and Wales in 2022 (ONS, death registration summary statistics, 2022). Not every death creates a new widow or widower, because many who die are unmarried, divorced or already widowed, but the annual total gives useful context for the size of the widowed population.
Is the widowed population growing or shrinking?
It has been shrinking as a share of adults. The widowed total in England and Wales fell from 3.2 million in 2011 to 3.0 million in 2021, a drop of 6.3%, with the largest falls among older women (ONS, Census 2021). A narrowing life-expectancy gap and more remarriage at older ages appear to contribute.