An increase in COVID-19 deaths has been linked to a drop in Australians’ life expectancy.
The(AIHW) analysed data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It found the average man and woman born from 2020 to 2022 can expect to live 81.2 and 85.3 years respectively — down 0.1 years compared to 2019 figures.
It’s the first time life expectancy has gone down in Australia since the mid-1990s.
Life expectancy
The ABS defines life expectancy as “the average number of additional years a person of a given age and sex could be expected to live”.
AIHW is a Federal Government agency. It estimatesby analysing data around current death rates specific to age and sex.
Its latest analysis of ABS figures shows Australians born from 2020 to 2022 are expected to live 36.5 fewer days than those born from 2019 to 2021.
COVID-19 impact on life expectancy
COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in Australia in 2022, according to AIHW. It was the first time in more than 50 years that an infectious disease has appeared in the top five causes of death.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
There were nearly 10,000 COVID-19 related deaths in 2022 — 5% of total deaths in Australia that year.
COVID-19 deaths were four times higher in 2022 compared to 2021.
The leading cause of death in 2022 was coronary heart disease, followed by dementia.
Overseas impacts
The U.S. and the UK also recorded declines in life expectancy during the pandemic, according to the AIHW report.
Average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped to 76.4 years in 2021, from 78.9 in 2019.
Meanwhile, the UK recorded a drop to 80.4 years, down from 81.3 for the same period.
Australia has the fourth highest life expectancy rate of the 38 countries that form the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
