COVID-19 pandemic shortens life expectancy by more than 1.5 years

The study, which utilised data from surveys, censuses and other sources, as well as the analysis of mortality rates and life expectancy in 195 countries in 1950-2021 of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, focused especially on the Covid-19 outbreak period.

The study, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, found that life expectancy worldwide decreased by more than 1.5 years between 2019 and 2021, sharply reversing past increases.

Dr. Austin E. Schumacher, one of the researchers working at IHME, stated that the Covid-19 outbreak had a profound impact on adults around the world, "During the epidemic, life expectancy decreased in 84 per cent of countries and regions. This situation reveals the destructive potential effects of new pathogens."

Life expectancy is a statistical measure of how long a person lives on average.

Details of the research were published in the journal "The Lancet".