Key Statistics
Key Statistics on Blood Pressure in the UK (2024/2025)
Prevalence and Diagnosis
- Recorded Prevalence: Hypertension (15.2%) had the highest recorded prevalence rate among major conditions in the 2024-25 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data from NHS Digital.
- Undiagnosed Cases: High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it rarely causes symptoms. An estimated one in thirteen people (4.4 million in a 2024 report, or around 5.5 million in a separate estimate) have undiagnosed hypertension.
- Lack of Awareness: A September 2025 poll by the charity Blood Pressure UK found that over four in ten UK adults (43%) do not know their current blood pressure reading, and nearly half (49%) mistakenly believe high blood pressure comes with clear symptoms.
Undiagnosed Cases:
Around 5 million people in England may have undiagnosed high blood pressure because it often has no symptoms (hence the “silent killer” nickname).
Age:
The prevalence of high blood pressure increases significantly with age. While only about 7% of males and 4% of females aged 16-24 have hypertension, this rises to 66% of males and 71% of females aged 75 and over.
Control and Management:
Of those diagnosed, a significant portion are not receiving optimum management or have their blood pressure controlled to the levels recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NHS has set an ambition to ensure 80% of patients with hypertension are treated to target by 2029.
Costs:
Conditions caused by high blood pressure are estimated to cost the NHS over £2 billion every year.
Get Your Blood Pressure Checked
Because high blood pressure rarely has symptoms, the only way to know if you have it is to get it measured
Based on recent 2024/2025 data from the NHS and related health bodies,
15.2% of patients registered at GP practices in England have a recorded diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure). An estimated 5.5 million people in England may have undiagnosed high blood pressure.