Long Covid prevalence in England - trends, inequalities and impacts.

Long Covid remains a risk for individuals infected with Covid. This post provides a summary of the most recent data from the 2025 NHS England survey of GP Patients.

Introduction

Long Covid poses a significant health concern for many people in the UK. Currently, there are no specific diagnostic tests solely for Long Covid; therefore, the data presently available is derived from surveys in which people report their experiences.

The UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) has previously carried out a number Covid Infection Surveys to identify the scale of Covid infections in the general population. These surveys covered a large representative sample of the population and include questions to gauge the prevalence of Long Covid. The final ONS report on Long Covid was published in April 2024 and I wrote a Substack article which can be found here providing a detailed analysis of the published data.

A further valuable source of information on Long Covid comes from the annual General Practice (GP) Patient Survey, conducted independently by Ipsos for NHS England, sent to over two million adults who are registered with GP practices,

This article presents findings from the 2025 GP Patients survey showing how self-reported Long Covid prevalence rates have changed over time and vary across different groups of people. The article also explores how Long Covid interacts with other long-term conditions and the overall impact on an individuals ability to go about their day to day activities. Finally, the experiences of patients with Long Covid regarding their General Practice and treatment are contrasted to those who do not report having Long Covid.

Summary.

The 2025 GP Patients survey provides valuable insights into Long Covid prevalence in England. It shows that 4.2% of respondents reported experiencing Long Covid, while 9.5% were unsure. The highest prevalence by age is for those aged 45 to 64 years.

Prevalence is unevenly distributed across the country, with individuals in the most deprived areas suffering the most, along with patients dealing with other chronic conditions or illnesses.

The impact of Long Covid on daily activities is significant, especially for those who are unemployed or unable to work due to long-term illnesses. However, it also affects those who are employed and likely contributes to reduced workplace productivity.

Finally, those who say they have Long Covid report a poorer overall experience with their General Practice, especially when it comes to managing and getting support for their long-term conditions.

The NHS England General Practice Patients Survey.

The General Practice (GP) Patients Survey is an annual survey of people who are registered at a GP and are aged 16 years and older in England. The survey was established in 2007 and asks respondents about their experience of their local GP, other NHS services and the respondents overall health. Importantly, people are included whether or not they have had any contact with their GP surgery in the past year making it representative of the overall population. Full details can be found here.

Since 2022, the survey has included the question ’Would you describe yourself as having “long COVID”, that is, you are still experiencing symptoms more than 12 weeks after you first had COVID-19, that are not explained by something else?’. Respondents can reply ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Not sure, or ‘Prefer not to say’.

The 2025 GP Patients Survey was conducted between December 30, 2024 and April 1, 2025. A total of 2,721,415 questionnaires were distributed nationwide, with 702,837 responses received, resulting in a 26% response rate. The results from the 2025 survey were published in July 2025 and, for the first time, interactive data analysis tools were made available allowing the public to explore the data in more detail. The tools for trend analysis and cross-tabulation, used to explore the data and generate the charts featured in this article, can be found here.

Recent trends in Long Covid prevalence.

The prevalence of self-reported Long Covid in adults (those aged 16 years and older) for 2025 remains high at 4.2% although it has fallen since 2023. The following table presents the annual trend in the percent of adults who replied 'Yes' or 'Not Sure'.

The chart shows that Long Covid prevalence is slowly falling but remains high with about one in 24 respondents saying that they have Long Covid in 2025. Worryingly, there is a large and increasing number of people reporting that they are ‘Not Sure’ if they have Long Covid.

The survey data shows that Long Covid is still a problem, highlighting the need for better awareness among the general public. It remains a major concern, especially for 'Long Haulers' who have dealt with symptoms for over two years, emphasising the importance of creating reliable diagnostic tests and effective treatments.

Long Covid inequalities.

Covid does not affect all groups equally and the same is true for Long Covid. This section examines how the prevalence of Long Covid varies by demographic and social factors including age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation level. It shows that Long Covid is unequally distributed across the population.

The self-reported prevalence of Long Covid clearly varies with age as illustrated in the following chart.

The chart shows that those aged between 45 to 64 years old report the highest rate of self-reported Long Covid. Worryingly these are individuals who are at working age and Long Covid is likely making some contribution to the post Covid rise in economic inactivity seen in this group. For further details on economic inactivity by age group see this article.

The following chart shows how the inequality gradient for the prevalence of self-reported Long Covid by deprivation level.

People living in the most deprived areas are much 1.6 times more likely to report having Long Covid than those in the least deprived areas. A finding that is sadly consistent with the 2023 ONS report and other long-term conditions.

The final table in this section summarises the percentage of adults who answered 'Yes' or 'I don't know' when asked if they experienced symptoms lasting over 12 weeks after initially contracting Covid, which could not be attributed to other causes, categorised by gender, parental status, and ethnicity.

The chart shows that the percent reporting that they had Long Covid is broadly the same across gender and parental status. However, males and parents are more likely not to know if they had Long Covid.

Finally, the data on ethnicity is less robust because of the small population sample sizes for the ethnic minority groups. However, it is notable that those identifying as black report the lowest prevalence for Long Covid.

Long Covid and other long-term conditions.

The risk of hospitalisation and death from Covid infections is higher for the clinically vulnerable and this section examines if this is also the case for Long Covid.

Most people reporting that they have Long Covid have at least one other long-term illness or condition. However, not all people with long-term conditions report having Long Covid as illustrated in the following table.

The table below displays the percentage of adults who report having Long Covid or are uncertain if they have it, categorised by those with at least one long-term condition lasting over a year and those with no other long-term conditions.

The table highlights that adults with long-term conditions are more than twice as likely to report having Long Covid compared to those without such conditions. Additionally, the next table indicates that certain long-term conditions are especially prone to Long Covid.

Impact of Long Covid

This section looks at the impact of Long Covid on the ability to carry out day-to-day activities and how Long Covid prevalence varies by work status.

The GP Survey asks ‘Do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?’ and allows respondents to choose between ‘Yes, a lot’, ‘Yes, a little, and ‘Yes, a lot’. The following table presents these responses by Long Covid status.

The table clearly shows that patients who report having Long Covid or are uncertain about it are far more likely to say that their ability to perform daily activities is significantly affected compared to those who do not report having Long Covid. The 19% of patients who report their ability is significantly impacted but do not mention having Long Covid are likely dealing with other long-term conditions.

The GP Survey also includes a section where participants select roles that best describe what they are presently doing, and the table below shows the reported Long Covid prevalence for each of these roles.

As expected, Long Covid prevalence is highest among those unable to work due to illness, but it is also notably high among the unemployed. People in paid work, the largest group, also show significant prevalence, while students and retirees have the lowest rates.

The final table in this section explores the impact of Long Covid on those who are in full or part-time paid work.

People in paid work are far more likely to say their daily activities are significantly impacted if they have Long Covid compared to those who don't. This strongly suggests that Long Covid is negatively affecting workplace productivity.

Long Covid sufferers and their GP experience.

As suggested by a subscriber, this final section looks at the experiences of patients reporting Long Covid with their General Practice (GP).

The first table looks at how overall satisfaction with the GP changes when people reported they had Long Covid or were unsure.

People with Long Covid report lower satisfaction with their GP compared to those without, indicating they may not be receiving the care they expect. This is influenced by several factors, and the chart below highlights that individuals with Long Covid had a worse experience during their last appointment across multiple aspects than those without the condition.

Another factor could be a patients' experiences with their treatment plans. The following table shows that, while patients reporting Long Covid are just as likely to receive a treatment plan, they find these plans less helpful compared to those who do not report having Long Covid.

The last factor discussed in this section is how well a patient can manage their condition or illness. The chart below highlights that patients with Long Covid feel significantly less confident in handling challenges caused by their condition and report receiving less support compared to those without it.

In summary, those who say they have Long Covid report a poorer overall experience with their General Practice, especially when it comes to managing and getting support for their long-term conditions.

In conclusion

The recent data from the GP Patients Survey shows that Long Covid remains a health concern, affecting many people across England in 2025.

Long Covid continues to be a significant issue for 'Long Haulers' who have endured symptoms for more than two years, underscoring the necessity of developing dependable diagnostic tests and effective treatments.

As always, any comments or questions are welcome.