INSEE has published its mortality figures for the year 2022 in France. These reveal a significant excess mortality compared to a normal year.
- France recorded a total of 675,000 deaths in 2022.
- This represents an excess mortality of 8.7% compared to a normal year.
- Two flu epidemics and summer heat waves could explain this figure.
According to INSEE, 675,000 people died in France in 2022. This figure represents 53,800 additional deaths compared to those expected – and an excess mortality of 8.7% compared to a normal year and even compared to 2020 when it reached only 7.8 % despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This excess mortality is also higher than that recorded in 2021 (8.3%).
Deaths from other causes have increased
For INSEE, this excess mortality is mainly explained by an increase in deaths due to causes other than Covid-19. The organization identifies two factors: the flu epidemics in March-April and December, which had very strong consequences on fragile people, and the high summer heat which also had an impact on mortality.
A possible brake on life expectancy gains
The INSEE evokes by publishing these figures a possible ‘brake on the brakes’ on the gains in life expectancy in France which had been recorded for several years. Indeed, for several decades, the life expectancy of the French people has not ceased to increase, a trend which has been somewhat undermined in recent years.