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Will 2021 have more Covid deaths than 2020?

We ask if this year’s global death toll will surpass 1.8 million.

In 2020 there were 1.8 million reported Covid deaths. So far this year, we’ve had 1.2 million. We’re currently seeing around 12,000 deaths a day across the world. But while some areas are seeing falls in numbers, others such as India are seeing a surge.

This week Tim Harford tries to answer the question: Will there be more global deaths this year from Covid 19 compared to last year?

(Families wait in line at the crematorium as the death toll continues to rise in Ghaziabad India, April 22, 2021. Credit: Sakib Ali/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Apr 2021 09:50GMT
BBC World Service

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Broadcasts

  • Sat 24 Apr 2021 04:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East Asia & South Asia
  • Sun 25 Apr 2021 13:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Sun 25 Apr 2021 21:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East Asia & South Asia
  • Mon 26 Apr 2021 02:50GMT
    BBC World Service South Asia & East Asia only
  • Mon 26 Apr 2021 09:50GMT
    BBC World Service

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Podcast

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    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life