While deaths between January and March 2021 were roughly the same--or even slightly lower--as the two previous years, mortality rose following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

From the first virus death until the end of the year, Statec counted 3,749 deaths, compared to 3,350 for the same period in 2019 and 3,272 in 2018. This results in an average increase in deaths of 438.

This number largely matches the number of covid-19 deaths reported during this time, Statec said in a report.

The mortality rate was at 7.3‰ in 2020, the highest in years, according to Statec. At the same time, life expectancy at birth declined by 0.3 years for men and 0.7 years for women.

Based on previous years, Statec would have expected around 4,356 deaths for the entire year, compared to the 4,609 fatalities reported for 2021. Mortality increased for all ages in the 75+ bracket.