Tuberculosis notifications in England stabilise in 2025

The latest provisional annual data for 2025 from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that reported notifications of tuberculosis (TB) in England were broadly stable compared to 2024, with 5,424 people notified compared to 5,487 in 2024 – a decrease of 1.1%.

England now has a notification rate of 9.4 per 100,000 population. While this represents an increase above the pre-pandemic level of 8.36 per 100,000 in 2019, it remains below this century’s peak of 15.6 notifications per 100,000 population recorded in 2011.

81.6% of all TB notifications in 2025 were in people born outside the UK, consistent with previous years. Numbers decreased slightly in both UK-born and non-UK-born populations.

Tuberculosis continues to be associated with deprivation and is more common in large urban areas. In 2025, the largest percentage increase in TB notifications was recorded in the North East (42 additional notifications, 34.1% increase), while the largest decrease was in the West Midlands (74 fewer notifications, 10.4% decrease). TB notifications were stable in 5 of the 9 UKHSA regions. Among UK-born individuals, TB is more common in those experiencing homelessness, drug or alcohol dependency, and contact with the criminal justice system.

Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said:

TB remains a serious public health issue in England.

The infection is preventable and curable. If you have moved to England from a country where TB is more common, please be aware of the symptoms of TB so you can get promptly tested and treated through your GP surgery.

Not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is caused by flu or COVID-19. A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than 3 weeks can be caused by a range of other issues, including TB. Please speak to your GP if you think you could be at risk.

TB is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, having surpassed coronavirus (COVID-19). It is a bacterial infection that most frequently affects the lungs, which is when it is infectious.

Symptoms of TB include:

• a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks
• high temperature
• night sweats
• loss of appetite
• weight loss

TB can also be found in other parts of the body besides the lungs, with symptoms including swollen glands and joints. More information on the symptoms of TB and what to do is available on the NHS website.

TB can spread through close contact with people who have the infection and have symptoms (active TB). When someone with active TB coughs, they release small droplets containing the bacteria. You can catch TB if you regularly breathe in these droplets over a long period of time. It can be treated with a long course of antibiotics but can be serious, particularly if not treated.

A TB test for infectious TB in the lungs is part of the visa requirements for anyone coming to stay in the UK for 6 months or more if they are coming from certain countries where TB is common. However, the bacterium that causes TB can also lie dormant for many years – something known as latent TB. To detect people with latent TB infection, a testing and treatment programme is in place in higher incidence areas of England for new arrivals from higher incidence countries.

Work is under way on developing the new TB National Action Plan for 2026 to 2031, informed by evidence gathered from experts and stakeholders earlier this year. The plan will focus on improving the prevention, detection and control of TB in England, prioritising the most effective interventions and addressing health inequalities.