For the first time in nearly half a century, India witnessed a moderate decline in its life expectancy at birth during 2017-2021, a setback attributed largely to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.rediff.com/news/report/how-covid-cut-indias-life-expectancy/20250519.htm
According to the latest health statistics, the life expectancy at birth, which had steadily risen from around 49.7 years in the early 1970s to 70 years by 2016-2020, dropped to 69.8 years in the 2017-2021 period.
Covid-related fatalities showed the highest percentage increase between 2020 and 2021, jumping from 160,618 deaths in 2020 to 413,580 deaths in 2021, a staggering 157.5 per cent increase, outpacing other causes by a significant margin.
Diseases of the respiratory system, already a major health burden in India due to pollution and underlying conditions, also saw a sharp rise, with deaths increasing from 181,160 to 305,191, marking a 68.5 per cent rise.
By Shikha Chaturvedi, Business Standard
19/05/2025