Looking at death rates per capita
The COVID-19 global pandemic is being handled differently in every country around the world, with varying degrees of success. Many health professionals have viewed the United States’ handling of the pandemic critically, suggesting that the U.S. hasn’t been proactive enough in its efforts to contain the illness. But how does the United States compare to other countries when it comes to the daily death rate per capita?
We wanted to take a closer look at the figures, and tapped OurWorldInData.org to figure that out and reviewed the deaths reported on Aug. 17, 2020 (we used the seven-day rolling average since not all deaths are reported on the day the individual actually died due to delays in reporting and testing).
This data, of course, doesn’t look at where cases are increasing or decreasing right now or the total number of known cases (which can vary broadly because of differences in testing). We look only at the absolute current morbidity figures, which can give a clearer view into how well nations are handling medical care for COVID-19 patients over time.
While the United States is the most populous country on the list (by more than 3 times the next most populous country, Iran) it does not have the highest number of current deaths per capita. Most of the other countries on the list, however, do not possess the economic might and resources of the United States, specifically with regard to medical capabilities, infrastructure and social services that can be instrumental in curbing the pandemic.
Related: How COVID-19 could change your health & finances forever
Here are the seven-day rolling average deaths per capita in the 30 countries reporting the most deaths for Aug. 17:
30. Bahamas
Total population: 385,640
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.09
29. Honduras
Total population: 9.588 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.15
28. Macedonia
Total population: 2.077 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.17
27. Ecuador
Total population: 17.08 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.18
26. Paraguay
Total population: 6.956 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.26
25. Iran
Total population: 81.8 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.27
24. Guatemala
Total population: 17.25 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.34
23. Albania
Total population: 2.846 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.39
22. Israel
Total population: 8.884 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.4
21. Swaziland (Eswatini)
Total population: 1.136 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.48
20. Iraq
Total population: 38.6 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.63
19. Tie: Oman
Total population: 4.829 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.65
19. Tie: Costa Rica
Total population: 4.999 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.65
17. Moldova
Total population: 3.546 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.81
16. Andorra
Total population: 77,006
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.85
15. Dominican Republic
Total population: 10.63 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 1.9
14. Romania
Total population: 19.41 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 2.16
13. Chile
Total population: 18.73 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 2.8
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Total population: 3.324 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 2.92
11. United States
Total population: 328.2 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 3.05
10. South Africa
Total population: 57.78 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 3.45
9. Argentina
Total population: 44.49 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 3.48
8. Panama
Total population: 4.1777 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 4.2
7. Suriname
Total population: 575,991
Deaths per 1 million population: 4.38
6. Brazil
Total population: 209.5 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 4.57
5. Mexico
Total population: 126.2 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 4.94
4. Bolivia
Total population: 11.35 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 4.99
3. Kosovo
Total population: 1.845 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 6.28
2. Colombia
Total population: 49.65 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 6.33
1. Peru
Total population: 31.99 million
Deaths per 1 million population: 22.57
More on COVID-19
- Roadtrip essential to keep you safe during COVID-19
- Job-hunting tips for the COVID-19 age
- COVID-19 testing: Follow these CDC recommendations
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
