Eurostat assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by looking at the excess mortality, i.e. the increase in the total number of deaths, from any cause, compared with deaths in the previous years. It used monthly data provided by all EU member states except Ireland, which did not provide data.
The excess mortality reached its peak in November when it was 40% above the average of the previous years. The excess mortality reached its first peak in April, with an increase of 25% compared with the average of the same month in 2016-2019. After April, figures started to drop before another surge in mortality began in August with another wave of the pandemic.
The November peak was particularly deadly in Bulgaria, Poland and Slovenia, each recording an increase of more than 90%. In the same month, Belgium registered an increase of nearly 60%, while Italy and Germany reported increases of 50%. Croatia saw a 46.3% increase in mortality that month, according to Eurostat.
