Life expectancy in Greece down by 6 months during Covid pandemic

The life expectancy of Greeks was reduced by 6 months during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new EU report.

The data presents the state of health of the Greek population and the inequalities that exist between the countries of Europe. The report is a joint effort of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Monitoring Center for Health Systems and Policies in cooperation with the European Commission.

According to the data, in 2020 the life expectancy at birth in Greece corresponded to 81.2 years and was slightly higher than the average for the EU as a whole (80.6), but lower compared to most countries in the south and Western Europe.

As in many other EU countries, the increase in life expectancy in Greece slowed significantly between 2010 and 2019, corresponding to only about one year compared to about two years in the previous decade. This is linked in part to limited progress in reducing ischemic heart disease and lung cancer — as well as to increased mortality from diabetes in the elderly.

Life expectancy at birth decreased temporarily (by 6 months) between 2019 and 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This reduction is less than the average reduction of around 8 months across the EU. The gender gap in life expectancy is 5.1 years (78.6 years for men, 83.7 years for women ) and is smaller than the difference across the EU (5.6 years).

The data showed that one in four adults smokes on a daily basis in Greece — a rate that is one of the highest in the EU. Although smoking rates among 15-year-olds are lower than among adults, the growing popularity of e-cigarettes is a source of concern.

The rate of adult obesity is equal to the EU average, but the prevalence of childhood obesity is steadily increasing. On the contrary, the rates of occasional excessive consumption of alcohol by adults in Greece are among the lowest in the EU.

Ischemic heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death. In 2018, diseases of the circulatory system were responsible for more than one in three deaths in Greece, followed by cancer (about one in four). In terms of specific diseases, ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2018 (accounting for about 11% of all deaths), followed closely by stroke (10%). Lung cancer accounted for 6% of all deaths and remained the most common cause of cancer death.