COVID-19 slashed global life expectancy by nearly two years from 2019 to 2021, reversing a decade of progress, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported Friday.
The pandemic caused a drop in global life expectancy by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, the same level as in 2012
The pandemic caused a drop in global life expectancy by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, the same level as in 2012, according to the WHO’s annual world health statistics study. Healthy life expectancy fell by 1.5 years to 61.9 years, also reverting to 2012 levels.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of the global pandemic security accord being negotiated in Geneva, highlighting its role in strengthening global health security and promoting equity. The WHO study’s findings are even more severe than a Lancet study published in January, which reported a 1.6-year decline in life expectancy during the pandemic.
Regional variations
The impact varied globally, with the Americas and Southeast Asia experiencing the most significant drops of about three years in life expectancy. In contrast, the Western Pacific saw a minimal decline of just 0.1 years.
The Lancet researchers estimated that COVID-19 caused 15.9 million excess deaths in 2020–2021, either directly from the virus or due to pandemic-related disruptions to health systems. This profound impact on life expectancy is unparalleled by any other event in the past half-century.