The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on life expectancy in many countries, including Germany. However, the most significant decline has been observed in the United States. According to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science at the University of Oxford found that life expectancy in Western Europe has decreased as much due to the Covid-19 pandemic as it did during World War II. The study examined 29 countries, including most European countries, the United States, and Chile. In 27 of the 29 countries, life expectancy decreased in 2020, with 22 countries experiencing a decline of at least six months.
The study’s co-author, José Manuel Aburto, noted that Western European countries such as Spain, England and Wales, Italy, and Belgium have not seen such a decline in life expectancy in a single year since World War II. The United States experienced the most significant decline in life expectancy, with a decrease of 2.2 years compared to 2019. The high mortality rate among those under 60 years old is particularly noticeable in the United States, according to co-author Ridhi Kashyap. In contrast, European countries have mainly seen an increase in mortality among those over 60 years old. Life expectancy is defined as the age that a newborn is expected to reach on average if death rates continue to develop as they did at birth.
In Germany, life expectancy has also been significantly impacted by Covid-19, particularly in the eastern states, according to data from the Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis). As of August 2021, life expectancy for girls is 83.4 years, and for boys, it is 78.6 years. It remains unclear whether the trend of increasing life expectancy has been interrupted or ended due to the pandemic. The study’s findings highlight the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global health and the urgent need for continued efforts to mitigate its effects.
