Day of the Dead
During the COVID-19 epidemic, life expectancy decreased in almost all EU Member States
All Saints Day, or the Day of the Dead, is a national holiday observed in Slovenia in memory of the dead on 1 November. On this occasion, we prepared some interesting data on mortality statistics.
The number of deaths increases
In Slovenia, the annual number of deaths was slowly increasing until 2020. In the last 40 years (between 1980 and 2019), it varied between 19,000 and 20,000. With the emergence of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, the number of deaths increased rapidly within a year and exceeded 24,000.
In 2021, 23,261 residents of Slovenia died. This was 3% fewer than in 2020, and 13% more than in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The increased number of deaths in the last two years is also reflected in the fact that 66 people died per day on average in 2020, or on average 10 more than in 2019 (56). 64 people died per day on average in 2021.
Most deaths in winter months
In 2020, most people died in the last two months of the year. On average 104 people died in December and on average 103 in November. There were 38 such days in which 100 or more people died. All of them were in November and December. In the 2000–2019 period, there was only one day in which 100 or more people died.
In 2021, the number of deaths began to drop in the first part of the year and started to increase in the last part of the year. In November 2021, on average 81 people died per day and in December on average 74 per day. In 2021, there were only 4 days in which more than 100 people died in one day.
Provisional data for 2022 show a similar trend with the number of deaths dropping in the first half of the year.
Life expectancy at birth was increasing until 2020
Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years that an individual can expect to live at birth if the mortality by age during a person’s lifetime remains the same. Reduction in infant mortality, rising living standards, improved lifestyles, higher education, and advances in health and medicine contribute significantly to the fact that we live longer.
In Slovenia, life expectancy at birth was increasing for both sexes until 2020. In the last 30 years, life expectancy of men at birth has increased by 8 years and of women by 6 years.
In 2020, compared to the pre-COVID year 2019, life expectancy at birth decreased by almost one year. In 2021, it was still lower than in 2019, but it has slightly increased for women, while for men it has decreased even slightly more.
Lower life expectancy in most EU Member States
The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in Europe in March 2020 and caused a rapid increase in the number of deaths, had a negative impact on life expectancy at birth in 25 of the 27 EU Member States. Only in Denmark and in Cyprus life expectancy at birth went slightly up.
Provisional data for 2021 show that in some EU Member States life expectancy at birth has stopped decreasing, especially in the countries of Western Europe, while countries in Eastern Europe suffered the consequences of the pandemic later, so for these countries life expectancy at birth in 2021 decreased even more.
In Slovenia, the annual number of deaths was slowly increasing until 2020. In the last 40 years (between 1980 and 2019), it varied between 19,000 and 20,000. With the emergence of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, the number of deaths increased rapidly within a year and exceeded 24,000.
In 2021, 23,261 residents of Slovenia died. This was 3% fewer than in 2020, and 13% more than in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The increased number of deaths in the last two years is also reflected in the fact that 66 people died per day on average in 2020, or on average 10 more than in 2019 (56). 64 people died per day on average in 2021.
Most deaths in winter months
In 2020, most people died in the last two months of the year. On average 104 people died in December and on average 103 in November. There were 38 such days in which 100 or more people died. All of them were in November and December. In the 2000–2019 period, there was only one day in which 100 or more people died.
In 2021, the number of deaths began to drop in the first part of the year and started to increase in the last part of the year. In November 2021, on average 81 people died per day and in December on average 74 per day. In 2021, there were only 4 days in which more than 100 people died in one day.
Provisional data for 2022 show a similar trend with the number of deaths dropping in the first half of the year.
Life expectancy at birth was increasing until 2020
Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years that an individual can expect to live at birth if the mortality by age during a person’s lifetime remains the same. Reduction in infant mortality, rising living standards, improved lifestyles, higher education, and advances in health and medicine contribute significantly to the fact that we live longer.
In Slovenia, life expectancy at birth was increasing for both sexes until 2020. In the last 30 years, life expectancy of men at birth has increased by 8 years and of women by 6 years.
In 2020, compared to the pre-COVID year 2019, life expectancy at birth decreased by almost one year. In 2021, it was still lower than in 2019, but it has slightly increased for women, while for men it has decreased even slightly more.
Lower life expectancy in most EU Member States
The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in Europe in March 2020 and caused a rapid increase in the number of deaths, had a negative impact on life expectancy at birth in 25 of the 27 EU Member States. Only in Denmark and in Cyprus life expectancy at birth went slightly up.
Provisional data for 2021 show that in some EU Member States life expectancy at birth has stopped decreasing, especially in the countries of Western Europe, while countries in Eastern Europe suffered the consequences of the pandemic later, so for these countries life expectancy at birth in 2021 decreased even more.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
