“In some years, deaths exceed projections, for instance in a bad flu year. These extra deaths are characterized as ‘excess deaths.’ In February, the CDC reported it attributed 376,504 deaths in 2020 to COVID-19. Each death is regrettable, but to put that number in perspective, the COVID deaths in 2020 were actually lower than the 401,000 excess deaths in 2017 — a bad flu year. This finding mirrors excess death data from other countries, where excess deaths were also higher in 2017 than in 2020.”
COVID Deaths — Putting the Numbers in Perspective
Published by markskidmore
Mark Skidmore is Professor of Economics at Michigan State University where he holds the Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy. His research focuses on topics in public finance, regional economics, and the economics of natural disasters. Mark created the Lighthouse Economics website and blog to share economic research and information relevant for navigating tumultuous times. View more posts