COVID-19: A data set on mortality in 29 countries, covering most of Europe, the United States and Chile. It found that 27 countries experienced reductions in life expectancy in 2020, and on a scale that wiped out years of progress in mortality.
27 of 29 countries experienced reductions in life expectancy in 2020
The research team assembled an unprecedented dataset on mortality from 29 countries. Which cover most of Europe, the US and Chile, countries for which official death records had been published for 2020.
They found that 27 of 29 countries experienced reductions in life expectancy in 2020. And on a scale that wiped out years of progress in mortality, according to the article published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
The last time such large declines were observed was in World War II
Women in 15 countries and men in 10 countries were found to have a lower birth expectancy in 2020 than in 2015. A year in which life expectancy was already negatively affected by a major flu season.
According to the study’s co-main author, Dr. José Manuel Aburto, “for Western European countries such as Spain, England and Wales, Italy, Belgium, among others. The last time such large decreases in life expectancy at birth were observed in just one year was during World War II. “
These countries took an average of 5.6 years to achieve a one-year increase in life expectancy
But, he says, the scale of life expectancy losses was marked in most of the countries studied, 22 countries included in our study experienced losses greater than half a year in 2020.
“Women in eight countries and men in 11 countries experienced losses greater than one year. year. To put it in context, it took an average of 5.6 years for these countries to achieve a one-year increase in life expectancy recently: progress disappeared over the course of 2020 due to COVID-19. “
In most of the 29 countries, men experienced a greater decrease in life expectancy than women. The largest decreases in life expectancy were seen among men in the US, who saw a decline of 2.2 years relative to 2019 levels, followed by Lithuanian men (1.7 years).
An impact so great that it is directly attributable to COVID-19
According to co-lead author Dr. Ridhi Kashyap; “The large declines in life expectancy observed in the US can be explained in part by the notable increase in mortality at working ages observed in 2020. In the US, increases in mortality in those under 60 years The age group contributed more significantly to the decrease in life expectancy, while in most of Europe increases in mortality above 60 years contributed more significantly ”.
In addition to these age patterns, the team’s analysis reveals that most of the reductions in life expectancy in different countries were attributable to official deaths from COVID-19.
Life expectancy by period
Dr. Kashyap adds: “While we know that there are several issues related to the COVID-19 death count. Such as inadequate tests or misclassification. The fact that our results highlight such a large impact that it is directly attributable to COVID-19 shows how devastating it has been for many countries. We urgently call for the release and availability of more disaggregated data from a wider range of countries, including low- and middle-income countries, to better understand the impacts of the pandemic globally. ”
Life expectancy, also known as life expectancy per period, refers to the average age a newborn lives at if current death rates continue throughout their life. It does not predict an actual lifespan. It provides a snapshot of current mortality conditions and allows a comparison of the size of the pandemic impacts on mortality between different countries and populations.
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