UKHSA reports 406 antibiotic-resistant infections a week in England in 2025

England recorded an average of 406 antibiotic-resistant infections a week in 2025, according to surveillance data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The agency reported 21,129 antibiotic-resistant bacteraemia cases, up 16.8% from 18,086 in 2019. Bacteraemia is an infection in which bacteria are present in the bloodstream and can be potentially life-threatening.

The rise slowed: cases increased by 3.2% between 2024 and 2025, compared with a 9.3% increase between 2023 and 2024. UKHSA said adults over 45 accounted for 89.3% (19,245) of resistant infection cases in 2025. People in the most deprived areas had a 44.2% higher rate than those in the least deprived areas. NHS antibiotic use decreased by 10.7% between 2019 and 2025, from 17.8 to 15.9 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID).