Dutch life expectancy could fall due to Covid, first time since WWII

The life expectancy for men in the Netherlands increased by 4 months last year to 80.5 years, and for women by 3 months to 83.6 years. The decades' long increasing trend could be brought to a halt due to the coronavirus, Statistics Netherlands said on Friday.

Life expectancy in the Netherlands has been increasing every year since the Second World War. But due to the coronavirus, life expectancy may remain level or even decrease this year, the stats office said.

In the spring of this year, an estimated 9 thousand more people died than is usual, due to Covid-19. But the effect this will have on life expectancy depends on developments in the rest of the year, Statistics Netherlands said.

If fewer people than usual die in the autumn, life expectancy will likely remain about equal to 2019 this year. But if autumn also sees more deaths than usual, life expectancy will decrease by a few months this year. If there is a second Covid-19 wave with as many deaths as in the spring, life expectancy will likely drop by around a year, back to the level of 2010.

At an increase in life expectancy of 4 months for men and 3 months for women, last year's increase was higher than the average for the past seven years. Then life expectancy increased 2 months for men and 1 month for women.

Compared to the average life expectancy in the European Union, Dutch men live 2 years longer on average, and Dutch women live 4 months longer than their EU counterparts.