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Differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality and life expectancy loss within the Hispanic population

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth Arias

    (National Center for Health Statistics)

  • Betzaida Tejada-Vera

    (National Center for Health Statistics)

Abstract

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Hispanic population resulted in the almost complete elimination of the long-standing Hispanic mortality advantage relative to the non-Hispanic White population. However, it is unknown how COVID-19 mortality affected the diverse Hispanic subpopulations. Objective: We estimate life expectancy at birth in 2019 and 2020 by select Hispanic country/region of origin and explore how changes in age-specific all-cause and COVID-19 mortality affected changes in life expectancy between 2019 and 2020 for each group. Methods: We use final 2019 and 2020 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and population estimates based on the 2019 and 2020 American Community Survey. We calculate life tables and apply decomposition techniques to explore the effects of changes in age- and cause-specific mortality on life expectancy. Results: Patterns of age- and cause-specific excess deaths and their impact on declines in life expectancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic differed substantially by Hispanic subgroup. Life expectancy losses ranged from 0.6 to 6.7 years among males and from 0.6 to 3.6 years among females. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic within the Hispanic population. Contribution: Our findings contribute new information that will help future researchers identify the causes of the disproportionately severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Hispanic population. Our study underscores the importance of population disaggregation in endeavors to identify the multiple pathways by which the pandemic affected the Hispanic population.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Arias & Betzaida Tejada-Vera, 2023. "Differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality and life expectancy loss within the Hispanic population," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(12), pages 339-352.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:48:y:2023:i:12
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2023.48.12
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Theresa Andrasfay & Noreen Goldman, 2021. "Reductions in 2020 US life expectancy due to COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact on the Black and Latino populations," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118(5), pages 2014746118-, February.
    2. Noreen Goldman & Anne R Pebley & Keunbok Lee & Theresa Andrasfay & Boriana Pratt, 2021. "Racial and ethnic differentials in COVID-19-related job exposures by occupational standing in the US," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Eduardo Arriaga, 1984. "Measuring and explaining the change in life expectancies," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 21(1), pages 83-96, February.
    4. Alberto Palloni & Elizabeth Arias, 2004. "Paradox lost: Explaining the hispanic adult mortality advantage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(3), pages 385-415, August.
    5. D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do & Reanne Frank, 2021. "Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(29), pages 699-718.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wen Su & Alyson van Raalte & José Manuel Aburto & Vladimir Canudas-Romo, 2024. "Subnational contribution to life expectancy and life span variation changes: Evidence from the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(22), pages 583-624.
    2. Paglino, Eugenio & Elo, Irma T., 2025. "US-born and foreign-born life expectancy by race and Hispanic origin before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 380(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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