Data published by the Ifo Institute on Friday revealed that around 180,000 more people died in Germany during the three years of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as compared to what would have been expected. On its website, the research institution mentioned that the excess mortality rate per 100,000 people was 640 in the 80+ age group and 92 in the age group 60 to 79 years.
The report mentioned that 116,000 more people died in the 80+ age group alone, than would have been usual, while the figure in the 60 to 79 age group was 51,000.
There were 12,000 additional deaths in the large age group of 30 to 59 years, while among the 0 to 29-year-olds, there were only around 900.
The website mentioned that in the two younger age groups, the relative excess mortality was much lower, namely 12 and 1.
As quoted by the website, Joachim Ragnitz, who is the deputy head of the Dresden branch of the Ifo, said: “The elderly were particularly poorly protected.”
“It is surprising that excess mortality accelerated again in 2022. The exact reasons for this are still unclear. The heat waves in the summer and the flu outbreaks at the end of the year may also have played a role,” Ragnitz added.
In order to calculate the expected number of deaths, the Ifo Institute calculated the average for the years 2016 to 2019 before the Covid period and adjusted it for changes in the age structure and increasing life expectancy.
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