Global
statistics

on AMR Deaths1, Future Projections1, Economic Impact2,3, Intervention and Prevention Impact1 and Global Trends and Impact4

Sources:

  1. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project Report (2024), The Lancet
  2. World Bank
  3. Forecasting the Fallout from AMR: Economic Impacts of Antimicrobial Resistance in Humans
  4. Hu, Y., Harwell, J. (2025). Global Trends and Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance in Paediatric Populations: An Analysis Using WHO AWaRe Classification and Priority Pathogens. Oral presentation. ESCMID Global 2025.

More than

THREE MILLION

children around the world are thought to have died in 2022 as a result of infections that are resistant to antibiotics

Annual deaths associated with AMR

4.71m

Annual deaths directly attributable to AMR

1.14m

More than

8m

deaths associated with AMR by 2050

Almost

2m

deaths directly attributable to AMR by 2050

AMR could shave

3.8% off global GDP

annually and push 28 million more people into extreme poverty by 2050

Antimicrobial resistance increases the cost of health care by

US$ 66 billion

This could rise to

US$ 325 billion

by 2050, making the global economy US$ 1.7 trillion smaller in 2050

Deaths that could be prevented with better infection care and antibiotic access

92m

AMR deaths that could be averted with a robust Gram-negative drug pipeline

11.1m

UK statistics1,2,3

and Disparities in AMR Burden2

Sources:

  1. National audit office report
  2. English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report 23-24
  3. UKHSA

The AMR burden in England in 2023 was

3.5% higher

than in 2019

1 in 5 hospital beds

in England are used by patients with an infectious disease as the primary cause

Annual cost of infectious disease hospitalisations to the NHS in England:

£6bn

AMR contributes to an estimated

35,200

deaths annually in the UK

66,730

cases of serious antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels (62,314 in 2019)

65%

of antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections in the last five years were caused by E. coli

In the UK alone, drug-resistant infections in humans have increased by

13%

despite a target to reduce them by 10%

Patients with resistant infections are more likely to die within

30 days

than those with treatable infections

43%

higher risk of antibiotic-resistant infection in the most deprived communities vs. least deprived (up from 29.4% in 2019)

9.5%

increase in resistant infection rates among the most deprived populations (2019-2023)

Mind the gap

For all the data we do have on antimicrobial resistance, significant gaps remain that demand urgent answers. Without robust data on the economic, clinical, and operational impact of AMR, policymakers and healthcare leaders are forced to make decisions in difficult circumstances. Addressing these gaps is essential to developing effective strategies, allocating resources efficiently, and protecting both public health and the future sustainability of the NHS. Some of these questions include:

What is the total financial burden of AMR on the NHS each year?

There is no comprehensive estimate of the overall cost of AMR to the NHS, including hospital stays, additional treatments, specialist care, and infection control measures.

How much does AMR increase NHS prescribing and treatment costs?

Data is lacking on the additional spending required for alternative antibiotics, combination therapies, and other medical interventions when first-line treatments fail due to resistance.

How do antibiotic-resistant infections affect different socioeconomic and demographic groups?

There is limited data on whether certain populations (e.g., by age, ethnicity, income level) are disproportionately affected by AMR, which could inform targeted interventions.

What are the hidden costs of AMR across NHS community and social care services?

There is little data on how AMR affects NHS community services, including district nursing, care homes, and home care, in terms of treatment costs, infection prevention measures, and staffing pressures.

How many deaths in the UK are directly attributable 
to AMR?

While estimates exist, the actual number of deaths directly caused by resistant infections (as opposed to being a contributing factor) remains unclear due to inconsistencies in coding and reporting.