Excess mortality slightly higher in 2021 than 2020

Excess mortality was slightly higher in 2021 than in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit the Netherlands. Nearly 171,000 people died last year, 16,000 more than expected, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In 2020, 15,000 more people died than the average before the pandemic.

More people died than expected in all age groups. Relative excess mortality was lowest among people over 90 at 7 percent. The relative excess mortality was highest among people aged 65 to 18 at 14 percent. Also, compared to the first corona year 2020, more people died in the latter age group.

In some years, such as 2015 and 2018, severe flu waves also caused excess mortality. However, a period of less mortality often followed these waves, Statistics Netherlands reported. That was not the case in 2020 and 2021. There were several periods of excess mortality and no under mortality in both years. In addition, the flu epidemics never resulted in this level of excess mortality.

In the years before the coronavirus crisis, more women died each year than men because there are more older women in the Dutch population. In 2021, slightly more men died than women. In 2020 about an equal number of men and women died.

There was relatively less excess mortality among people in long-term care than in 2020. Still, over 9 percent more people died than expected. But that percentage was lower than among the rest of the population.

Excess mortality was relatively highest in the provinces of Flevoland, Zeeland, and Limburg in 2021. A year earlier, Flevoland and Limburg were also badly hit. Excess mortality in Zeeland was relatively limited in 2020. Excess mortality was lowest in the GGD regions of Kennemerland and Amsterdam last year.

Life expectancy remained about the same as in 2020. It was 83 years old for women, one month less than in 2020, and for men, it was 79.7 years, the same as the year before. Life expectancy decreased compared to 2019. Then life expectancy was nine months higher for men and seven months higher for women.

CBS expects life expectancy to return to the predictions made before the pandemic in a number of years. In the past, life expectancy often quickly returned to its previous level after periods of high mortality, such as the Spanish flu or World War II, according to the stats office.