Mexico witnesses 46% rise in Covid death toll in 2020

MEXICO CITY: Mexico saw a 46 percent jump in its mortality rate in 2020 as the coronavirus fueled a sharp increase in the number of people dying, official figures showed Thursday.

There were 86 deaths per 10,000 inhabitants last year, compared with 59 in 2019, the national statistics institute INEGI reported.

The total number of deaths shot up to 1,086,743 in 2020, from 747,784 in 2019.

"The increase in registered deaths coincides with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic," INEGI said.

Covid-19 was the second leading cause with 200,256 deaths -- behind only heart disease, it said.

Densely populated Mexico City, which has been particularly badly affected by the pandemic, saw the highest mortality rate of 116 per 10,000 inhabitants.

The southeastern state of Quintana Roo, home to the Riviera Maya tourist region, recorded the lowest rate with 59 deaths per 10,000 people.

The country of 126 million has an official coronavirus death toll of more than 287,000 -- the world's fourth highest behind the United States, Brazil and India -- with a peak in fatalities seen during a second wave in early 2021.