Life Expectancy In India Dropped By 2 Years Due To COVID-19: Study

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the lives of people worldwide, has also caused a drop in the life expectancy in India by almost two years, a statistical analysis by scientists of the city-based International Institute for Population Studies (IIPS) has revealed. According to IIPS assistant professor Surayakant Yadav, the life expectancy at birth for men and women has declined from 69.5 years and 72 years in 2019 to 67.5 years and 69.8 respectively in 2020. The life expectancy at birth is calculated on the basis of the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns at the time of the birth of the infant remain constant in future. The study undertaken by professor Yadav also included a factor termed ‘length of life inequality’ and found that COVID-19 has claimed maximum lives of men in the age group of 39-69.This study was conducted to look at the burden repercussions of the COVID-19 on mortality patterns in the country.