Tuberculosis levels in England increased by 11% in 2023

Source: UKHSA, 5 December 2024

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published data showing that TB levels have increased, with London continuing to have the highest rate.

Data published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show reported notifications of TB in England increased by 11% in 2023 to 4855, compared to the previous year.

London had a 6% increase but had the highest rate of TB with 1,662 out of the 4855 notifications in 2023 (18.7 per 100,000 population), compared to 1,575 out of 4380 in 2022 (17.9 per 100,000 population). This is still considerably lower than the peak rate of 42.6 per 100,000 seen in London in 2011.

England overall still remains a low incidence country for TB, with a rate of 8.5 notifications per 100,000 population, down from a peak of 15.6 notifications per 100,000 which was seen 2011.Overall, the increase in notifications in 2023 was seen in both UK born and non-UK born populations. 80% of all TB notifications in 2023 were in people born outside the UK. The most common countries where non-UK born TB cases came from were India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Romania.

Tuberculosis continues to be associated with deprivation and the infection is more common in large urban areas. TB rates remain highest in London, at 18.7 notifications per 100,000 people compared to 3.7 in the South West of England. For those born in the UK, TB is more common among those who experience homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence and have had contact with the criminal justice system.

Although numbers remain low, there was an increase in drug-resistant infections requiring longer and more complex treatment. Of lab confirmed TB notifications in 2023, 2.4% were multi-drug resistant. UKHSA has a Whole Genome Sequencing diagnostics programme in place, which means that we can diagnose drug resistance much more quickly than with traditional methods, helping people get the most effective treatment sooner.