The pandemic has significantly reshaped human life expectancy, with a more severe decline than previous studies indicated.
A study published on March 12 reveals that the Covid-19 pandemic caused the average life expectancy of people worldwide to decrease by 1.6 years during the two years of 2020 and 2021.
This marks the first reversal in the global life expectancy trend that had been rising for decades, according to researchers analyzing data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) based in the United States.
Covid-19 caused the average life expectancy of people worldwide to decrease by 1.6 years. (Photo: Getty).
“For older adults worldwide, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been more profound than any event in the last half-century, including conflicts and natural disasters,” said Professor Austin Schumacher, the lead author of the study.
In a statement, he noted that between 2020 and 2021, the average life expectancy of individuals declined in 84% of the 204 countries and territories analyzed.
This illustrates the potentially devastating impacts of new viral strains.
The researchers also estimated that the mortality rate among those over 15 years old increased by 22% for males and 17% for females during this period. Cities in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia experienced some of the most significant reductions in average life expectancy.
Researchers estimated that Covid-19 was responsible for over 15.9 million deaths during 2020-2021, including both direct and indirect infections.
Nonetheless, this appears to be a generational shift or demographic transition among nations. While the populations of many wealthy and aging countries have declined, those in less affluent countries continue to grow.
Professor Schumacher warned that this will bring unprecedented social, economic, and political challenges. For instance, labor shortages may occur in areas where the younger population is shrinking, while resource scarcity could be an issue in places where the population continues to expand rapidly.
