Landmark study involving UC scientist reveals top global causes of death between 1990 and 2021
The research, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, found an overall increase in life expectancy of 6.2 years since 1990, with the COVID-19 pandemic radically changing the leading causes of death.
An international study published in The Lancet provides a ground-breaking analysis of the leading causes of death in 204 countries between 1990 and 2021. The study found that the global average life expectancy has increased by 6.2 years since 1990, driven by reduced deaths from causes such as respiratory infections and stroke. Furthermore, the study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the leading causes of death over the three decades analysed, significantly impacting mortality rates.
The paper ‘Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021’ included the participation of Mónica Rodrigues, a researcher at the Centre of Studies on Geography and Spatial Planning CEGOT) of the University of Coimbra (UC).
"Over the past three decades, the reduction in deaths from respiratory diseases, stroke, and ischaemic heart disease has significantly contributed to the increase in life expectancy," the UC researcher explains, adding, "During these 30 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted life expectancy in several countries. This study is the first to compare COVID-19 deaths with deaths from other causes."
Mónica Rodrigues also points out that "South-East Asia, East Asia, and Oceania were the world super-regions with the largest gains in life expectancy, increasing by 8.3 years between 1990 and 2021". The largest decrease in life expectancy due to COVID-19 ocurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a loss of 3.6 years.
The scientific article is available here.