A Journey from Progress to Pandemic Impact
India had made significant strides in improving life expectancy at birth—from just 49.7 years in the early 1970s to 70 years by the 2016–20 period. This steady upward trend, sustained for nearly five decades, was abruptly interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2017-21, life expectancy at birth declined to 69.8 years. The drop, though seemingly…