By increasing the number of deaths, the Covid-19 epidemic has inevitably affected demography in France. However, the National Institute of Demographic Studies has just revealed, in its report, that of the 68,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 in 2020, around 13,000 would be attributable to the aging of the population.
13,000 are statistically attributable to the aging of the population
Metropolitan France recorded 654,000 deaths in 2020 against 599,000 in 2019, i.e. 55,000 more deaths. In their report produced for the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) published in March 2021, the authors of the study, Gilles Pison and France Meslé explain that of the 68,000 deaths related to Covid-19, 13,000 d ‘between them are due to the aging of the population which is observed every year in the absence of gain in life expectancy. Indeed, according to demographers “ some of the fragile people suffering from these diseases have indeed died of Covid-19 even though they would have died in 2020 anyway, even in the absence of the Covid-19 epidemic “.
Fewer flu and traffic accidents
When we remove the 13,000 deaths due to the aging of the population out of the 55,000 additional deaths observed in 2020, we arrive at a total of 42,000 deaths. However, to explain this difference between the 68,000 deaths from Covid-19 and the 42,000 additional deaths observed, specialists cite several reasons. First, demographers explain that the seasonal flu was much less deadly at the start of 2020 than at the start of 2019. Likewise, road accidents caused significantly fewer victims in 2020.
Secondly, specialists report that “ other causes of death have also probably declined such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory failure “. In their report, the authors explain it as follows: “ deaths from Covid-19 have partly affected fragile people suffering from other diseases. A fraction of them would have died in 2020 anyway, even in the absence of the Covid-19 epidemic. Their death would then have been attributed to another cause (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory failure, etc.) “. This finding explains the probable drop in 2020 in the number of deaths attributed to these various causes.
