Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy in Madrid (Spain)

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing substantial increases in mortality across populations, potentially causing stagnation or decline in life expectancy. We explored this idea by examining the impact of excess mortality linked to the COVID-19 crisis on life expectancy in the region of Madrid (Spain). Using data from the Daily Mortality Surveillance System (MoMo), we calculated excess mortality (death counts) for the weeks 10th to 14th in 2020 using data on expected and observed mortality, assuming no further excess mortality during the rest of the year. The expected annual mortality variation was +6%, +21% and +25% among men aged under 65, between 65 and 74 and over 75, respectively, and +5%, +13%, and 18% for women, respectively. This excess mortality during weeks 10th to 14th resulted in a life expectancy at birth decline of 1.6 years among men and 1.1 years among women. These estimates confirm that Madrid and other severely hit regions in the world may face substantial life expectancy declines.