In Finland and Iceland, there was under-mortality at the beginning of the pandemic, which may have appeared later as over-mortality. Recent statistics published by Eurostat show that life expectancy has returned to pre-pandemic levels in more than 18 European Union countries, but Finland is one of the seven countries where this has not yet happened. In Finland, life expectancy was still 0.4 years shorter than in 2019. This is mainly due to the high number of elderly people who died during the corona wave in November-December of the previous year.
According to THL’s research professor and statistician Mika Gissler, the mortality rate of people over 70 was a third higher during the corona wave in Finland compared to other months of the year. However, life expectancy in Finland has improved since the worst corona year of 2022, with the mortality rate falling to pre-corona levels at the beginning of this year. From the fall of 2021 to the end of 2022, life expectancy dropped by half a year for men and almost a year for women.
Interestingly, Finland experienced decreased age-standardized mortality at the beginning of the pandemic, unlike several other countries where mortality peaked early on. On the other hand, Iceland managed to close itself off at the start of the pandemic, resulting in decreased mortality rates for people over 70. The lower mortality in Iceland in 2020 may have contributed to the higher mortality rates in 2022 and 2023, according to Gissler.
The rapid aging of Finland’s population is a contributing factor to mortality rates in general and corona mortality specifically. Elderly individuals often have weakened immune responses, making corona infections potentially fatal for them despite vaccinations. Life expectancy is an important indicator for comparing population mortality rates in different periods, considering age structure. The impact of corona deaths on life expectancy is more substantial for young individuals compared to the elderly.
In conclusion, while some European countries have seen improvements in their life expectancies post-pandemic, others are still struggling with increased deaths due to various factors such as age structure and vulnerability among certain populations. It is crucial that governments continue to address these issues through policies aimed at improving healthcare outcomes and addressing underlying health disparities within their populations.
