In third position, as in 2020, Covid-19 led to the death of 60,895 French people in 2021, according to Inserm, Drees and Santé Publique France.
- In 2021, tumors (nearly 170,000 deaths) and cardiovascular diseases (nearly 138,000) were the two leading causes of death in France.
- In third position, we find Covid-19 to which 60,895 people have died.
- That year, the elderly, whose median age was 84, remained the main victims of the coronavirus.
660.168. This is the number of people who lost their lives in France in 2021, a year marked by the rise of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 and protective measures linked to the circulation of Sars-CoV-2 (containment , curfew, health pass and compulsory wearing of a mask). It is lower than that of 2020, which was 667,497 deaths. However, this number is significantly higher than in previous years even taking into account the aging of the population, according to Inserm, Drees and Santé Publique France.
In 2021, Covid-19 remains the third cause of death in France
In a study, published on December 19, the three institutions analyzed the medical causes of deaths during this year. To do this, they reviewed the death certificates and were, more specifically, interested in “the illness, trauma or circumstances in the event of violent death which caused the morbid process leading to” the death.
According to the results, tumors, which caused 170,000 deaths, are the leading cause of mortality. However, mortality from cancers has continued to decline, except for pancreatic tumors and melanomas, which are still on the rise.
In second place, we find diseases of the circulatory system, which represent 20.9% of deaths. “In 2021, Covid-19 remains the third cause of death in France. (…) It directly caused the death of 60,895 people in 2021, mostly elderly people (median age of 84 years), who were slightly younger than in 2020 (median age of 86 years in 2020)”said the researchers.
Covid-19: two thirds of deaths recorded in public hospitals
The data also showed that two thirds of deaths due to Covid-19 in 2021 took place in public health establishments, “which also only record 43% of deaths from all causes”. However, an increase in the proportion of deaths at home was observed. “This can be partly explained by the greater use of home hospitalization.”
In addition, mortality linked to Covid-19 has intensified in the overseas departments and regions (DROM) compared to 2020, with in particular a marked epidemic peak in August 2021 in the Antilles. As for the regions of France, they have been heterogeneously affected by the epidemic. “We note, compared to 2020, an extension towards the south and, more slightly, towards the west.”
The authors also pointed out the increase in mortality linked to cardiovascular diseases in 2021 and to endocrine and digestive system pathologies from 2020. They estimated that this increase could be associated with indirect effects of the Covid epidemic. -19 (delay in care, greater social isolation affecting behavior, increase in harmful alcohol consumption, difficulties in accessing care, after-effects for those with Covid-19 as an associated cause, etc.).
