Sweden saw fewer deaths in COVID-19 than in the majority of Europe
Sweden saw a lower overall mortality rate than most European countries, according to data from World Health Organization.
The Scandinavian country – home to over 10 million people – declined the strict shutdowns that caused much of the global economy to stall.
WHO report on too many deaths – people who died directly and indirectly from covid-19 – shows as many as 14.9 million deaths worldwide.
While many European countries accepted locks as a last resort after failing to tackle the pandemic by other methods, Sweden controversially relied on voluntary measures, such as social distancing and personal hygiene.
In 2020 and 2021, the country had an average mortality rate of 56 per 100,000 – compared with 109 in the UK, 111 in Spain, 116 in Germany and 133 in Italy, WHO data shows.
“These sober data point not only to the effects of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can maintain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. said in a statement.
While Sweden is below most other major European nations, the country performed worse than neighboring Denmark, which counted on 32 deaths per 100,000, while Norway recorded fewer deaths per 100,000 than expected.