This year, life expectancy in Sweden will fall for the first time in 120 years – since 1900, Bloomberg stated . In particular, the death rate in the country has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Sweden coped with in its own way: without the introduction of quarantine and the mandatory wearing of masks in public places. For women, the indicator may decrease from 84.7 years to 84.4, for men – from 81.3 years to 80.8.
The Swedish statistical office Statistics Sweden indicated that life expectancy in the country grew from 1900 to 2019, during which there were periods of stagnation, but 2020 stands out especially. When calculating, data on deaths from January 1 to August 31 were analyzed, given the second wave of COVID-19, life expectancy may decrease even more.
Unlike most countries in the world, Sweden has refused to introduce quarantine. Only in the fall, the authorities adopted a number of recommendations, but they are mostly voluntary. In mid-November, the country admitted the failure of its approach in the fight against the pandemic in the form of a bet on collective immunity. The number of people admitted to hospitals with coronavirus in Sweden is now growing the fastest in Europe, and in Stockholm one in five tests are positive.