Global study reveals sharp decline in life expectancy due to coronavirus crisis

A comprehensive study published in The Lancet on Tuesday, conducted by hundreds of scientists, indicates that average life expectancy plummeted by 1.6 years during the initial two years of the pandemic, spanning from 2020 to 2021.

The research, drawing from data provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in the US, underscores the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global demographics. Lead author of the study, Austin Schumacher from IHME, asserts that the pandemic's repercussions on adult populations surpass those of any other event in the past fifty years, including conflicts and natural disasters.

The study reveals that in 2020/21, life expectancy declined in 84% of the 204 countries and regions examined, indicating the "devastating" toll of the virus. Excess mortality worldwide during these years amounted to 15.9 million deaths, surpassing previous estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) by 1 million.

The study highlighted a notable increase in mortality rates among individuals aged 15 and over, with a 21% rise for men and boys and a 17% increase for women and girls in 2020/21. Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico City were among the locations experiencing the most significant declines in life expectancy during this period.

Conversely, the mortality rate for children under the age of 5 saw a decline, with approximately half a million fewer deaths recorded globally in 2021 compared to 2019.

Despite the profound impact of the coronavirus crisis on life expectancy, the study underscores that people continue to live significantly longer in the long term compared to previous decades.