Last year there were 7,600 Covid-19-related deaths in Switzerland
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused life expectancy in Switzerland to fall for the first time in decades. For males born in 2020 it decreased by 0.9 years to 81.0 years, and for females by 0.5 years to 85.1 years.
The last time such a decline occurred for men was in 1944 and for women in 1962, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on MondayExternal link.
Life expectancy has fallen particularly sharply for the elderly. Last year a 65-year-old man could expect to live for another 19.3 years (down from 20.0 years in 2019) and a 65-year-old woman could expect to live for another 22.2 years (down from 22.7 years).
Such a sharp decline has never been observed among men, the FSO said. For women, however, it had been seen in 1944, due to a particularly hard winter.
More
More
Where the oldest Swiss live
This content was published on
Cantons Basel City, Jura and Ticino had the most 100-year-olds in Switzerland in 2018, new statistics reveal.
A comparison of mortality in Switzerland during the pandemics of 1918 and 2020 reveals significant differences, the FSO said. The number of deaths attributed to the Spanish flu in 1918 was significantly higher than those attributed to Covid-19 in 2020. The Spanish flu caused almost 22,000 deaths in 1918, equivalent to 5.6 deaths per thousand people.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health, there were 7,600 Covid-19-related deaths in 2020, or 0.9 per thousand. The 1918 influenza killed mainly men and women aged 20-40, whereas Covid-19 was most deadly for those over 80. Between 1917 and 1918, life expectancy at birth fell by 10.1 years for men and 8.4 years for women, and thus much more dramatically than between 2019 and 2020.
More
More
Swiss note many parallels between Covid-19 and Spanish flu
This content was published on
Implementing lockdown rules too late, then lifting them too soon or simply ignoring them – sound familiar?
However, the pandemics of 1918 and 2020 also have some striking similarities.
Both killed more men than women in absolute and relative terms. In 1918 and 2020 the second wave of infections occurred in the same months of the year, with the peak of deaths in both pandemics occurring around November.
In addition, in both cases the cantons in western Switzerland had higher overall mortality rates than the cantons in eastern Switzerland.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
This content was published on
A Geneva-registered tourist plane grazed some ski mountaineers on Saturday on a glacier on the Swiss side of the Monte Rosa massif.
Sharp rise in reports of suspicious sports betting in Switzerland
This content was published on
Last year the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority received 184 reports of suspicious activities in connection with 166 sports competitions.
Swiss fencers apologise for diplomatic scandal with Israel
This content was published on
Two days after causing a diplomatic scandal at the U23 European Championships in Tallinn, the Swiss fencers responsible have published a jointly signed apology on Instagram.
Air in climbing gyms more polluted than on streets
This content was published on
The concentration of potentially harmful chemicals in climbing gyms is sometimes higher than on busy roads, say researchers from Switzerland and Austria.
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved slightly higher sales at the start of the year. However, profits fell sharply, partly due to the late Easter.
Switzerland’s first padel court on water built in Arosa
This content was published on
Switzerland's first padel tennis court on water will open on the Obersee in Arosa, canton Graubünden, for the 2025 summer season.
This content was published on
Wine consumption in Switzerland fell by almost 8% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Swiss wines are particularly affected by the decline.
Jackie Chan to be honoured for life’s work at Locarno Film Festival
This content was published on
Martial artist Jackie Chan will receive an Honorary Leopard, a lifetime achievement award, from the Locarno Film Festival in southern Switzerland in August.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss population continues to age and diversify
This content was published on
In 2019, the Swiss population grew in size, aged, and became slightly more foreign, according to annual statistics published on Thursday.
This content was published on
Alice Schaufelberger, who spent most of her life in Zurich, had always been in good spirits, according to the head of the nursing home where she died.
This content was published on
It’s a select club and not necessarily one you want to join: dying on your birthday. That said, you’d be in good company.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.