A recent study published in The Lancet has revealed the significant global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on life expectancy. For the first time in three decades, there has been a decline in global average life expectancy, with a decrease of 1.6 years between 2019 and 2021.
The study, part of the Global Burden of Disease Study, highlighted that the pandemic led to 15.9 million deaths worldwide in 2020 and 2021 that would not have occurred in the absence of Covid-19. This has resulted in a profound impact on adults globally, surpassing the effects of conflicts and natural disasters.
While the pandemic affected mortality rates worldwide, some countries experienced more significant impacts than others. Eighty countries saw mortality rates exceeding 150 per 100,000 people per year during the pandemic, with Peru and Bulgaria recording the highest rates in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Despite the overall decline in life expectancy, there were a few countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and China, where life expectancy actually increased during the early years of the pandemic. These countries had lower Covid-19 infection rates compared to other regions.
On a positive note, child mortality continued to decrease during the pandemic, with half a million fewer deaths in children under five years old in 2021 compared to 2019. However, the study also highlighted challenges related to population trends, with 56 countries experiencing population decline since 2021.
The report emphasized the implications of slowing population growth and aging populations, particularly in lower-income countries. These demographic shifts are expected to pose social, economic, and political challenges, such as labor shortages and resource scarcity, requiring strategic policy interventions to address effectively.
