It is revealed that the world's average life expectancy has decreased by 1.6 years due to the new coronavirus pandemic

Many people lost their lives during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that occurred at the end of 2019. A large-scale study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington revealed that from 2020 to 2021, at the beginning of the pandemic, the average life expectancy worldwide decreased by about 1.6 years.

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 - The Lancet
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00476-8/

The Pandemic Dramatically Reshaped Life Expectancy, Now We Know How Much : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-pandemic-dramatically-reshaped-life-expectancy-now-we-know-how-much

The research team analyzed more than 20,000 birth records, death records, census results, etc. from 204 countries and regions. More than 2,000 data sources are used for population estimation, as well as demographic data from migration, conflict, famine, natural disasters, etc. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in 2020-2021 was calculated by subtracting the ``expected number of deaths in the absence of the pandemic'' calculated from past trends from the total number of observed deaths.

The results showed that of the 204 countries and regions analyzed, 84% had a decline in average life expectancy. In particular, average life expectancy has decreased significantly in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and other countries. Conversely, countries such as New Zealand, Barbados , and Antigua and Barbuda had lower excess mortality rates during the pandemic. The research team claims that the geographical conditions of the remote island may have suppressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of excess deaths directly or indirectly caused by COVID-19 is estimated to be 15.9 million over the 2-year period 2020-2021. This is one million more people than estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Additionally, mortality rates rose by 22% for men aged 15 and older and by 17% for women. On the other hand, the number of deaths of children under the age of 5 in 2021 was 500,000 fewer than in 2019, and the child mortality rate was on the decline.

Due to the development of medical technology and improvements in living standards, the average life expectancy is increasing worldwide, and the average life expectancy worldwide has increased from 49 years in 1950 to 72 years in 2021. However, the research team points out that the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed the upward trend in life expectancy.

The research team also found that while the populations of wealthy countries with aging populations are shrinking, the populations of less wealthy countries continue to grow, ``labor shortages and 'This could pose unprecedented social, economic and political challenges, including resource scarcity in areas where the population continues to grow rapidly.'