The average life expectancy, which had been increasing for decades, experienced a sudden decline in 2020 and 2021 amidst the COVID-19 crisis, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal "The Lancet." The study indicated that life expectancy fell during these two years in 84% of the nearly 200 countries and regions examined by the researchers, nearly encompassing the entire globe.
Data analyzed by the researchers showed an average decrease in life expectancy of more than one and a half years (1.6 years) per person during 2020 and 2021. This was reflected in an increase in deaths reaching 15.9 million cases, slightly more than the 15 million deaths reported by the World Health Organization.
The study's lead author, researcher Austin Schumacher, stated, "COVID had an impact on adults around the world that had not been recorded in half a century, even during wars and natural disasters." However, this type of study makes it difficult to distinguish between deaths directly associated with COVID and those resulting from the effects of health restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic.
On another note, the results showed that the infant mortality rate continued to decline during the period covered by the study. For children under five, there was a reported decrease in deaths by about 500,000 in 2021 compared to figures from 2019. Researcher Homui Homui Kuo confirmed that the results represent "exceptional progress," noting that current priorities should focus on preventing "the next pandemic by reducing the significant health gaps between countries."
