Global pandemic deaths at 15M — WHO

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 15 million people died during COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021, nearly triple the number of deaths officially attributed to the virus. 

WHO’s estimate of the total pandemic deaths — including lives lost to its effects — puts the number on the broader impact of the crisis. 

The figure gives a more realistic picture of the worst pandemic in a century, which has killed around one in every 500 people worldwide and continues to claim thousands of lives each week. 

“The full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range from 13.3 million to 16.6 million),” the United Nations health agency said. 

The figures are extremely sensitive due to how they reflect on the handling of the crisis by governments around the world, with some countries, notably India, already contesting the far higher numbers. 

India’s reported COVID deaths for 2020 to 2021 are 481,000, but WHO’s estimate is between 3.3 million to 6.5 million. 

“We need to honor the lives tragically cut short, lives we lost — and we must hold ourselves and our policymakers accountable,” said Samira Asma, WHO’s data chief. 

New Delhi questioned the data which put the numbers at 10 times the country’s official toll.