Pandemic contributed to excess mortality in Portugal in early 2021
Excess mortality in Portugal soared in the first weeks of 2021, a burden much higher than the joint average of 33 OECD countries, according to data from a study by the organization, released this Thursday.
In Portugal, in the second week of the year, the excess mortality was 75%, an exponential increase compared to the last weeks of 2020, when it reached below 25%.
The beginning of 2021 was marked by the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the highest number of cases and cases of death from the disease were registered in Portugal.
Excess mortality, however, dropped to negative numbers as the year progressed.
On average, between March 2020 and May 2021, the excess mortality in Portugal was 16%, equal to the combined average of 33 of the 38 OECD countries.
61% of Portuguese trust the Government
After an increase between 2016 and 2017, and a fall between 2018 and 2019, the Portuguese people’s confidence in the Government increased in 2020.
According to data from the OECD, confidence in the Executive increased from 44% to 61%.
It is the best record of the Portuguese Government in OECD studies, since António Costa took office as prime minister.
On the collective average of 35 OECD countries, trust in governments increased from 45% to 49%.
Loneliness and isolation from society increase
Feelings of loneliness and isolation from society have increased since the beginning of the pandemic, both in Portugal and in the rest of the OECD.
Between April and June 2020, 12% admitted feeling loneliness, while between February and March there were already 19%.
On a combined average of 22 OECD countries, the increase was from 14% to 19% over the same time periods.
The feeling of isolation from society is also increasing, but to a lesser extent in Portugal than in the rest of the OECD.
Between June and July 2020, 11% assumed that they felt this way, while 18% said the same between February and March 2021, in Portugal.
On the collective average of 22 OECD countries, the increase went from 19% to 27% at the same time.
After being in decline since 2016, the feeling of low life satisfaction has been increasing in Portugal since 2019.
19% say they have a low satisfaction in 2020, a number even lower than 2016, when almost 30% responded within this category.
Income and debt remain stable
Average household disposable income remained stable and had a cumulative increase of 1% in Portugal and 2% in the OECD between the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2020.
Over the same period of time, household debt remains stable at 112% of disposable income, while on a collective average across 20 OECD countries, it has declined from 119% to 118%.
Public debt increased from 123% to 139% of GDP in Portugal between the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2020.
Between 2019 and 2020, 11% of young people, aged between 15 and 29, were not employed, in training or at a level of education, in Portugal. A number that has remained stable for three years.
On a collective average of 30 OECD countries, there was an increase from 13% to 14% of young people in the same conditions, during the same period.