During the pandemic, the health of Poles significantly deteriorated, according to the report “The health situation of the Polish population and its determinants” of the National Institute of Public Health PZH-PIB. Compared to 2019, life expectancy decreased by 2.3 years for men and 2.1 years for women. The places where life expectancy has shortened the most have also been indicated.
The authors of the report indicated that in 2020-2021, i.e. during the pandemic, the health of Poles deteriorated significantly, and this applies in particular to the elderly. “Pandemic COVID-19 in the years 2020-2021 caused an unprecedented shortening of the life expectancy of the Polish population in the post-war period” – it is emphasized. The report shows that in 2021 the life expectancy of men was 71.75 years and was 2.3 years shorter than in 2019 preceding the pandemic, and in the case of women it was 79.68 years and was shorter by 2.1 years.
Where Poles live the shortest
The document noted that life expectancy varies depending on where you live. “They are in the least favorable health situation inhabitants of the smallest towns below 5,000 population with the shortest life expectancywhereas inhabitants of the largest cities of over 500,000 live the longest inhabitantsThe authors of the report calculated that currently men in the smallest cities live on average about 2.6 years less than those living in the largest cities. In the case of women, this difference is 1.9 years.
In addition, it was noted that “the impact of the pandemic on shortening the life expectancy of urban and rural residents in men in both years was greater among urban residents, while in women in 2020 it was greater among rural residents, and in 2021 it was similar in both populations.”
The report shows that under the influence of the 2020 pandemic in the case of men life expectancy of the inhabitants of the province has shortened the most. Świętokrzyskie (by 2.3 years)and in 2021, after two years of the pandemic, in the province Podlasie (by 3.6 years). On the other hand, it was the least shortened in the Lubuskie in 2020 (by 1.2 years) and the province Lesser Poland in 2021 (by 2 years).
For women observed that in 2020 the life expectancy of women living in the Lodz (by 1.7 years)a after two years of a pandemic in the inhabitants of the province of Lublin and Podkarpackie (by 2.9 years). It shortened the least in 2020 in women from the province of West Pomeranian (by 0.6 years), and in 2021 in women from the province Lesser Poland (by 1.7 years).
Life expectancy for men in 2020-2021pzh.gov.pl
The authors also drew attention to the poviat differentiation and came to the conclusion that most of the poviats where men live the longest are in southern and central-western Poland, while in the case of women, these are poviats in the southern and eastern part of the country, with the exception of the north-eastern part of the province. Lublin.
In 2020-2021 the highest life expectancy for men and women was observed among the inhabitants of Sopot (78.4 and 83.2 years respectively). the shortest life expectancy in men, however, was observed in the inhabitants of the Makowski poviat in the province of Mazowieckie (68.9 years) and in women – in Chorzów (77 years).
Life expectancy for women in 2020-2021pzh.gov.pl
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