Covid pandemic saw 22.1mn excess deaths; three times 7mn formally documented

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in 22.1 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023, more than three times the 7 million formally documented deaths. Excess mortality was highest in 2021 with 10.4 million deaths, before declining to 3.3 million deaths in 2023. Men experienced higher excess mortality than women, with age-standardised mortality rates about 50% higher in men than women at the 2021 peak. Excess mortality was also significantly higher in older adults, particularly those 85 years and older.