UK has highest death rate from coronavirus in world, analysis shows

The UK has the highest coronavirus death rate in the world, a comparison of excess mortality figures shows.

Britain has recorded 59,537 more deaths than the normal level since the week ending March 20, an analysis of 19 worst-hit countries by the Financial Times found.

This suggests that the virus has already directly or indirectly killed 891 people per million - higher than any other country for which exists.

When the absolute number of excess deaths is compared, the UK is the worst-hit in Europe and is second to the US globally.

On percentage increase in deaths compared to normal levels, the UK is the highest in Europe, tops the US and is second to Peru internationally.

The trends were revealed from a study by the FT that compared 19 countries for which robust data exists, including all the worst-hit European nations.

The UK’s official coronavirus death toll currently stands at 37,460, after another rise of 412 on Thursday, the highest in Europe with Italy at 33,072, France 28,596 and Spain 27,118.

Other countries including China, Brazil and Russia have suffered large death tolls during the pandemic but their mortality rates are eclipsed by the UK as the number of deaths is smaller compared with their much larger populations.

The timing of lockdowns relative to the spread of the virus has proven influential to the total level of excess deaths, the FT data shows.

Countries such as Germany, which introduced mass contact tracing three months before the UK, experiencing lower additional fatalities.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: “We will, of course, learn lessons from our response to this virus, but these must be drawn from an accurate international analysis in the future.”

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