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UKHSA · PHS · PHA surveillance data

Legionnaires’ disease cases across the UK

Confirmed cases reported to the national surveillance schemes, by year of symptom onset. England & Wales is the longest series and the bulk of cases - a climb to a record 609in 2023, the COVID-19 dip, and 463 in 2024 - with Scotland and Northern Ireland shown below for the full UK picture.

Data to 2024Reviewed 2 July 2026England, Wales, Scotland & N. Ireland
609
Record year (2023)
highest annual total on the scheme to date
463
Latest (2024)
down from the 609 record in 2023
337
Pandemic low (2020)
travel restrictions cut travel-linked cases
~70%
Cases in men
consistent male skew, most cases aged 50+

Confirmed cases by year, 2011 to 2024

Each bar is the number of confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases in residents of England and Wales, by year of symptom onset. Hover a bar for the exact figure.

COVID-1901002003004005006002011: 235 confirmed cases23520112012: 306 confirmed cases30620122013: 284 confirmed cases28420132014: 331 confirmed cases33120142015: 384 confirmed cases38420152016: 355 confirmed cases35520162017: 488 confirmed cases48820172018: 553 confirmed cases55320182019: 540 confirmed cases54020192020: 337 confirmed cases33720202021: 352 confirmed cases35220212022: 415 confirmed cases41520222023: 609 confirmed cases60920232024: 463 confirmed cases4632024RECORDcases

The wider UK: Scotland and Northern Ireland

England & Wales is most of the UK total, but Scotland (Public Health Scotland) and Northern Ireland (PHA) run their own schemes. Stacked together, here is the UK picture for the years all three report. The schemes use slightly different case definitions and methods, so the UK total is an approximate sum, not an official single figure. Across all three nations the UK recorded about 533 confirmed cases in 2024 (463 + 57 + 13).

England & WalesScotlandNorthern Ireland
01002003004005006007002017 England & Wales: 4882017 Scotland: 352017 Northern Ireland: 753020172018 England & Wales: 5532018 Scotland: 372018 Northern Ireland: 459420182019 England & Wales: 5402019 Scotland: 352019 Northern Ireland: 758220192020 England & Wales: 3372020 Scotland: 202020 Northern Ireland: 035720202021 England & Wales: 3522021 Scotland: 162021 Northern Ireland: 337120212022 England & Wales: 4152022 Scotland: 442022 Northern Ireland: 746620222023 England & Wales: 6092023 Scotland: 532023 Northern Ireland: 1267420232024 England & Wales: 4632024 Scotland: 572024 Northern Ireland: 135332024UK cases
YearEngland & WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandUK total
2017488357530
2018553374594
2019540357582
2020337200357
2021352163371
2022415447466
20236095312674
20244635713533

Northern Ireland data run from 2014 (5, 7 and 3 cases in 2014-2016); Scotland’s enhanced surveillance runs from 2000 and peaked with the 2012 Edinburgh outbreak. The combined view starts in 2017, where all three nations have comparable annual figures.

Where people caught it

Confirmed England & Wales cases by principal exposure category, for the years the reports break it down. Most cases are caught in the community; travel abroad is the next largest group, and healthcare-associated cases are a small but high-fatality minority. (Community includes travel within the UK.)

CommunityTravel abroadHealthcare-associated
2016355 cases
57%
41%
2023604 cases
63%
35%
2024463 cases
52%
44%
5%

The numbers

Confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases, residents of England & Wales, by year of onset. Deaths and case-fatality rate shown for the years the reports state them.

YearConfirmed casesDeaths (CFR)Source report
2011235—PHE 2013
2012306—PHE 2013
2013284—PHE 2013
2014331—PHE 2016
2015384—PHE 2016
201635525 (7.0%)PHE 2016
2017488—UKHSA 2017-2023
2018553—UKHSA 2017-2023
2019540—UKHSA 2017-2023
202033735 (10.4%)UKHSA 2024
2021352—UKHSA 2024
2022415—UKHSA 2024
202360919 (3.1%)UKHSA 2024
202446313 (2.8%)UKHSA 2024
Read this before quoting the figures. The headline chart and the “numbers” table are confirmed cases in residents of England & Wales(UKHSA, formerly Public Health England), by year of symptom onset. The UK view adds Scotland(Public Health Scotland) and Northern Ireland (PHA), which run separate schemes with slightly different case definitions and methods - so the UK total is an approximate sum, not an official single figure. All are surveillance counts of reported, laboratory-confirmed cases, so the true number of infections is higher. Figures can be revised by a case or two between reports as late notifications arrive (PHS’s 2024 report, for example, revised a couple of earlier years). Pre-2014 England & Wales figures are taken from the annual report for that period. This page is general information, not medical advice.

Sources

Want the controls behind these numbers? See the control parameters reference,the disease explained, and how to manage the risk. For the legal and financial cost of getting it wrong, see Legionella prosecutions & fines.

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"Legionnaires’ disease cases in the UK: the data." Legionella.io. https://legionella.io/legionnaires-disease-cases/

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