As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of deaths soared in France in 2020 and the first half of 2021: +9.1% for deaths from all causes in 2020 and +7.3% in the first half of 2021, compared to the same periods in 2019.

The risk of death increased among men aged 35 and above and women aged 55 and above, while mortality fell among the younger generations, particularly men, as a result of the "protection" provided by the lockdowns.

Life expectancy at birth dropped 0.5 years and 0.6 years for women and men, respectively, in 2020, largely due to the increase in mortality among people aged 70 and above. This drop in life expectancy in 2020 was more pronounced in the French regions most affected by the first two waves of the pandemic: Île-de-France, Grand Est, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Hauts-de-France, as well as Mayotte, which experienced outbreaks of Covid-19 and dengue fever simultaneously.

The pandemic also proved more deadly to those born abroad, particularly people from Africa and Asia. These populations are more likely to live in the regions hardest hit by the pandemic and in densely populated areas, a factor linked to higher risk of death in 2020.

Comparing the number of deaths observed to those expected if the pandemic had not occurred allows us to take into account population ageing and the downward trend of risk of dying by age. In 2020, 668,900 people died — 47,000 more than expected had the risks of dying by age continued to drop in line with the trend seen over the last decade. In April and November 2020, deaths were more than 30% higher than forecast. This additional amount was more modest during the third wave in April 2021 (+13%) thanks to vaccines and the harvesting effect, whereby there were fewer vulnerable people in 2021, following increased deaths in 2020.