New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that a record number of homeless people died in Wales last year, with an estimated 63 deaths in 2025. Charities have warned that the true figure could be even higher.
The number of homeless deaths in Wales has soared over the last decade. In 2015, there were 24 deaths, less than half of last year's total. The figure rose to 25 in 2022, before climbing to 48 in 2023, 51 in 2024 and 63 in 2025.
Cardiff records highest number of deaths
The bulk of the deaths were in Cardiff, where 26 homeless deaths were recorded last year. Swansea had the next highest total with seven, followed by Wrexham with five.
The number of homeless deaths in the capital has grown rapidly in recent years. Last year's total is up from 16 in both 2023 and 2024. In 2019, there were just six homeless deaths in Cardiff, and in 2015 there were just five.
Swansea, meanwhile, has seen the number of homeless deaths fall in recent years. As recently as 2023, there were 15 in the city, compared to seven last year. In Newport, there were nine homeless deaths in 2024, compared to just one last year.
England and Wales totals rise by 77% in a decade
Across England and Wales as a whole, there were an estimated 974 deaths of people experiencing homelessness in 2025 - an average of nearly three people dying every day. The number of homeless deaths has increased by 77% in the space of 10 years, up from 565 estimated deaths in 2015.
Males accounted for the vast majority of the deaths last year, 833 in total, with females making up 141. A person is classified by the ONS as being homeless when information recorded at death registration indicates that the person was sleeping rough or using emergency or temporary accommodation at or around the time of death.
Charities warn of under-reporting
Charities warn that the number of homeless deaths is likely to be much higher than the official figures. Research by the Museum of Homelessness suggests that more than 10,000 homeless people have died since 2017, compared to the ONS estimate of 6,600 deaths during that time.
The charity's Dying Homeless Project says that 1,720 people - including 51 children - died while homeless in 2025, which is 746 more than in the official figures. The project uses information from coroners' enquiries, media coverage, family testimony and freedom of information requests to get its figures. It claims that local authorities are under-reporting the true scale of homeless deaths, with around one in every 10 deaths missing from the official records.
Strategic Lead for the Dying Homeless Project, Gill Taylor, said: “Based on our investigation and analysis, we have identified that local authorities may be underreporting rough sleeping deaths.
“Our work with local organisations in Bristol and Liverpool has uncovered a significant difference between what councils have told us and what other organisations know is happening on the ground.
“Derby, Ealing, Hillingdon, Tower Hamlets, Brent, Newcastle, Westminster, Sheffield, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, and Lambeth all had over 75 people sleeping rough on average every month in 2025, but only told us about zero or one death at street level for the whole year, which our investigation suggests is highly unlikely. We fear that the true scale is much higher than local authorities are telling us.”
The charity warns that simply moving people off the street won't solve the problem. Jess Turtle, Museum of Homelessness director, said: “Our investigation reveals a nationwide scandal that we already see all too often in our day to day work on the frontline in London.
“People are placed in unsafe, pay per night accommodation without support and left to fall through the gaps.
“We are pleased to see the motivation to tackle homelessness and investment in community solutions coming out of government.
“However, it must create high quality settings with relationships and consistent wrap around support to support healing, rather than hastily put together sit up services or isolated, dangerous placements.”
Cause of death data
The project found that more than half of deaths (52%) were related to drugs, alcohol or suicide. However, official figures suggest that “accidents” are the most common cause of death, with more than a third (39%) given this cause. Intentional self-harm accounted for 9% of homeless deaths last year according to the ONS, while liver disease made up 7% of deaths.
Director of Museum of Homelessness, Matthew Turtle, said: “We need far better compassionate, community led solutions to homelessness. For example Camden has the fourth highest rate of deaths in the UK, but they recently renewed a £60,000 contract for police officers to tear down encampments.
“That money could fund a community led shelter or two outreach workers instead. It's a disgraceful waste of tax-payer money.
“We want the government's energy to get people off the streets to be channelled in the right way, without the authorities resorting to punitive measures that increase social exclusion and risk to life.”
Breakdown of deaths by area
Totals for 2025: Cardiff 26, Swansea 7, Wrexham 5, Pembrokeshire 4, Rhondda Cynon Taf 4, Gwynedd 3, Bridgend 2, Ceredigion 2, Denbighshire 2, Merthyr Tydfil 2, Caerphilly 1, Conwy 1, Flintshire 1, Neath Port Talbot 1, Newport 1, Powys 1, Blaenau Gwent 0, Carmarthenshire 0, Anglesey 0, Monmouthshire 0, Torfaen 0, Vale of Glamorgan 0.
The number of homeless deaths in Cardiff has fluctuated over the years: 2013: 11, 2014: 1, 2015: 5, 2016: 6, 2017: 3, 2018: 5, 2019: 6, 2020: 5, 2021: 11, 2022: 10, 2023: 16, 2024: 16, 2025: 26.
