The pandemic has reduced SA’s life expectancy by three-and-a-half years, according to Jacques van Zaydam, Department of Social Development's chief director, population and development.
Speaking during a Brics webinar on the demographic impact of the pandemic, he said since the pandemic, life expectancy had dropped from 65.5 years to 62 years.
“There was a significant rise in deaths in 2021, approximately by 34% from the previous years,” Van Zuydam said. This meant the crude death rate increased from 8.7 deaths per 1 000 people to 11.6 deaths per 1 000 people in 2021.
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