As of May 2, 2023, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had spread to almost every country in the world, and more than 6.86 million people had died after contracting the respiratory virus. Over 1.16 million of these deaths occurred in the United States.

Waves of infections Almost every country and territory worldwide have been affected by the COVID-19 disease. At the end of 2021 the virus was once again circulating at very high rates, even in countries with relatively high vaccination rates such as the United States and Germany. As rates of new infections increased, some countries in Europe, like Germany and Austria, tightened restrictions once again, specifically targeting those who were not yet vaccinated. However, by spring 2022, rates of new infections had decreased in many countries and restrictions were once again lifted.

What are the symptoms of the virus? It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of the illness to start being noticed. The most commonly reported symptoms are a fever and a dry cough, leading to shortness of breath. The early symptoms are similar to other common viruses such as the common cold and flu. These illnesses spread more during cold months, but there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that temperature impacts the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Medical advice should be sought if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Based on a comparison of coronavirus deaths in 210 countries relative to their population, Peru had the most losses to COVID-19 up until July 13, 2022. As of the same date, the virus had infected over 557.8 million people worldwide, and the number of deaths had totaled more than 6.3 million. Note, however, that COVID-19 test rates can vary per country. Additionally, big differences show up between countries when combining the number of deaths against confirmed COVID-19 cases. The source seemingly does not differentiate between "the Wuhan strain" (2019-nCOV) of COVID-19, "the Kent mutation" (B.1.1.7) that appeared in the UK in late 2020, the 2021 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from India or the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) from South Africa.

The difficulties of death figures

This table aims to provide a complete picture on the topic, but it very much relies on data that has become more difficult to compare. As the coronavirus pandemic developed across the world, countries already used different methods to count fatalities, and they sometimes changed them during the course of the pandemic. On April 16, for example, the Chinese city of Wuhan added a 50 percent increase in their death figures to account for community deaths. These deaths occurred outside of hospitals and went unaccounted for so far. The state of New York did something similar two days before, revising their figures with 3,700 new deaths as they started to include “assumed” coronavirus victims. The United Kingdom started counting deaths in care homes and private households on April 29, adjusting their number with about 5,000 new deaths (which were corrected lowered again by the same amount on August 18). This makes an already difficult comparison even more difficult. Belgium, for example, counts suspected coronavirus deaths in their figures, whereas other countries have not done that (yet). This means two things. First, it could have a big impact on both current as well as future figures. On April 16 already, UK health experts stated that if their numbers were corrected for community deaths like in Wuhan, the UK number would change from 205 to “above 300”. This is exactly what happened two weeks later. Second, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which countries already have “revised” numbers (like Belgium, Wuhan or New York) and which ones do not. One work-around could be to look at (freely accessible) timelines that track the reported daily increase of deaths in certain countries. Several of these are available on our platform, such as for Belgium, Italy and Sweden. A sudden large increase might be an indicator that the domestic sources changed their methodology.

Where are these numbers coming from?

The numbers shown here were collected by Johns Hopkins University, a source that manually checks the data with domestic health authorities. For the majority of countries, this is from national authorities. In some cases, like China, the United States, Canada or Australia, city reports or other various state authorities were consulted. In this statistic, these separately reported numbers were put together. For more information or other freely accessible content, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The seven-day average number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. decreased significantly from April to July 2020, but it remained higher than in other countries. Seven-day rolling averages are used to adjust for administrative delays in the reporting of deaths by authorities, commonly over weekends.

The challenges of tracking and reporting the disease The U.S. confirmed its first coronavirus case in mid-January 2020 – the virus was detected in a passenger who arrived in Seattle from China. Since that first case, around 945 people have died every day from COVID-19 in the United States as of August 23, 2020. In total, the U.S. has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other country worldwide. Accurately tracking the number of COVID-19 deaths has proved complicated, with countries having different rules for what deaths to include in their official figures. Some nations have even changed which deaths they can attribute to the disease during the pandemic.

Young people urged to act responsibly Between January and May 2020, case fatality rates among COVID-19 patients in the United States increased with age, highlighting the particular risks faced by the elderly. However, COVID-19 is not only a disease that affects older adults. Surges in the number of new cases throughout July 2020 were blamed on young people. The World Health Organization has urged young people not to become complacent, reminding them to maintain social distancing guidelines and take precautions to protect themselves and others.

As of April 13, 2024, India had the highest number of confirmed deaths due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the Asia-Pacific region, with over 533 thousand deaths. Comparatively, Indonesia, which had the second highest number of coronavirus deaths in the Asia-Pacific region, recorded approximately 162 thousand COVID-19 related deaths as of April 13, 2024. Contrastingly, Bhutan had reported 21 deaths due to COVID-19 as of April 13, 2024.

As of May 2, 2023, there were roughly 687 million global cases of COVID-19. Around 660 million people had recovered from the disease, while there had been almost 6.87 million deaths. The United States, India, and Brazil have been among the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.

The various types of human coronavirus The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the seventh known coronavirus to infect humans. Its emergence makes it the third in recent years to cause widespread infectious disease following the viruses responsible for SARS and MERS. A continual problem is that viruses naturally mutate as they attempt to survive. Notable new variants of SARS-CoV-2 were first identified in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. Variants are of particular interest because they are associated with increased transmission.

Vaccination campaigns Common human coronaviruses typically cause mild symptoms such as a cough or a cold, but the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has led to more severe respiratory illnesses and deaths worldwide. Several COVID-19 vaccines have now been approved and are being used around the world.

Between the beginning of January 2020 and June 14, 2023, of the 1,134,641 deaths caused by COVID-19 in the United States, around 307,169 had occurred among those aged 85 years and older. This statistic shows the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths in the U.S. from January 2020 to June 2023, by age.

COVID-19 rate of death, or the known deaths divided by confirmed cases, was over ten percent in Yemen, the only country that has 1,000 or more cases. This according to a calculation that combines coronavirus stats on both deaths and registered cases for 221 different countries. Note that death rates are not the same as the chance of dying from an infection or the number of deaths based on an at-risk population. By April 26, 2022, the virus had infected over 510.2 million people worldwide, and led to a loss of 6.2 million. The source seemingly does not differentiate between "the Wuhan strain" (2019-nCOV) of COVID-19, "the Kent mutation" (B.1.1.7) that appeared in the UK in late 2020, the 2021 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from India or the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) from South Africa.

Where are these numbers coming from?

The numbers shown here were collected by Johns Hopkins University, a source that manually checks the data with domestic health authorities. For the majority of countries, this is from national authorities. In some cases, like China, the United States, Canada or Australia, city reports or other various state authorities were consulted. In this statistic, these separately reported numbers were put together. Note that Statista aims to also provide domestic source material for a more complete picture, and not to just look at one particular source. Examples are these statistics on the confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia or the COVID-19 cases in Italy, both of which are from domestic sources. For more information or other freely accessible content, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

A word on the flaws of numbers like this

People are right to ask whether these numbers are at all representative or not for several reasons. First, countries worldwide decide differently on who gets tested for the virus, meaning that comparing case numbers or death rates could to some extent be misleading. Germany, for example, started testing relatively early once the country’s first case was confirmed in Bavaria in January 2020, whereas Italy tests for the coronavirus postmortem. Second, not all people go to see (or can see, due to testing capacity) a doctor when they have mild symptoms. Countries like Norway and the Netherlands, for example, recommend people with non-severe symptoms to just stay at home. This means not all cases are known all the time, which could significantly alter the death rate as it is presented here. Third and finally, numbers like this change very frequently depending on how the pandemic spreads or the national healthcare capacity. It is therefore recommended to look at other (freely accessible) content that dives more into specifics, such as the coronavirus testing capacity in India or the number of hospital beds in the UK. Only with additional pieces of information can you get the full picture, something that this statistic in its current state simply cannot provide.

COVID-19 has spread to most regions and territories around the world. As of May 2, 2023, the number of confirmed cases had reached roughly 687 million.

COVID-19 in the Americas The Americas is one of the regions most impacted by COVID-19. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths are particularly high in the United States and Brazil. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on Latin America, and several nations have recorded a resurgence in cases, highlighting the complexity of easing restrictions while the virus is still a threat. However, mass vaccination programs have been launched in countries including Argentina, Chile, and Panama.

The role of face masks in the prevention of COVID-19 There has been much discussion about the effectiveness of face masks in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Many governments around the world made it mandatory to wear a form of face mask, particularly in shops and on public transport. Masks alone will not halt the spread of the disease, and they should be used alongside other measures such as social distancing.

It is estimated that from 2020 to 2021, the mean rate of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic from all-causes was highest in Peru. In 2020-2021, there were around 437 excess deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic per 100,000 population in Peru. This statistic shows the mean number of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic from all-causes in 2020-2021 in select countries worldwide, per 100,000 population.

As of March 10, 2023, there have been 1.1 million deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States. There have been 101,159 deaths in the state of California, more than any other state in the country – California is also the state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

The vaccine rollout in the U.S. Since the start of the pandemic, the world has eagerly awaited the arrival of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. In the United States, the immunization campaign started in mid-December 2020 following the approval of a vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. As of March 22, 2023, the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. had reached roughly 673 million. The states with the highest number of vaccines administered are California, Texas, and New York.

Vaccines achieved due to work of research groups Chinese authorities initially shared the genetic sequence to the novel coronavirus in January 2020, allowing research groups to start studying how it invades human cells. The surface of the virus is covered with spike proteins, which enable it to bind to human cells. Once attached, the virus can enter the cells and start to make people ill. These spikes were of particular interest to vaccine manufacturers because they hold the key to preventing viral entry.

The time it takes for the number of COVID-19 deaths to double varies by country. The doubling rate in the United States was 139 days as of December 13, 2020. In comparison, the number of confirmed deaths in Australia doubled from 450 to 908 in the space of 117 days between August 18 and December 13, 2020.

COVID-19: We are all in this together The commitment of civilians to follow basic hygiene measures and maintain social distancing must continue. The wellbeing of populations cannot be jeopardized, and young people must also engage in the response. In Australia, the 20- to 29-year-old age group accounts for the highest number of COVID-19 cases. With lockdown restrictions lifted, many people have returned to their regular routines and jumped back into socializing. However, there are concerns about complacency and suggestions that young adults could be driving spikes in coronavirus cases.

Receive coronavirus warnings on your smartphone It is of paramount importance that countries keep a vigilant eye on the spread of the coronavirus. One way of doing so is to invest in track and trace surveillance systems. Electronic tools are not essential, but many countries are using contact-tracing smartphone apps to make the tracking of cases more efficient. In June 2020, a contact-tracing app was rolled out across Japan, and it received nearly eight million downloads in the first month. A COVID-19 alert app was also launched in Canada at the end of July 2020. The smartphone software is initially being piloted in Ontario, but it will soon be possible for people in other provinces to use the app and report a diagnosis.

As of May 2, 2023, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been confirmed in almost every country and territory around the world. There had been roughly 687 million cases and 6.86 million deaths.

Vaccine approval in the United States The United States has recorded more coronavirus infections and deaths than any other country in the world. The regulatory agency in the country authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were approved in December 2020, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved in February 2021. As of April 26, 2023, the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. had reached 675 million.

The difference between vaccines and antivirals Medications can help with the symptoms of viruses, but it is the role of the immune system to take care of them over time. However, the use of vaccines and antivirals can help the immune system in doing its job. The most tried and tested vaccine method is to inject an inactive or weakened form of a virus, encouraging the immune system to produce protective antibodies. The immune system keeps the virus in its memory, and if the real one appears, the body will recognize it and attack it more efficiently. Antivirals are designed to help target viruses, limiting their ability to reproduce and spread to other cells. They are used by patients who are already infected by a virus and can make the infection less severe.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to over 183,000 deaths in Germany, as of 2024. When looking at the distribution of deaths by age, based on the figures currently available, most death occurred in the age group 80 years and older at approximately 118,938 deaths.

As of November 14, 2022, the United States had recorded almost 98 million cases of COVID-19. The country had also reported a total number of over one million deaths from the disease.

COVID-19 testing remains important The cumulative number of coronavirus cases worldwide reached almost 633 million towards the beginning of November 2022. Demand for test kits has at times exceeded production levels, but many countries continue to test citizens to more effectively control rises in cases. The U.S. has performed the most tests worldwide, followed by India and the United Kingdom.

The silent spread of the coronavirus Widespread testing will also help to detect people who might be asymptomatic – showing few or no symptoms of the illness. These carriers are unwittingly transmitting the virus to others, and the threat of silent transmission is one reason why mass lockdowns have been imposed around the world. However, as asymptomatic carriers produce no symptoms, they may have developed some natural immunity to the illness. Viruses are not as easily spread in communities with high rates of immunity, which helps to protect more vulnerable groups of people. When an infection rate is less than one, a community has achieved herd immunity.

It is estimated that in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic caused around 762,927 excess deaths among females worldwide aged 80 years and older. This statistic shows the mean number of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic from all-causes worldwide in 2020, by age and gender.

It is estimated that by the end of 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic had caused around 14.9 million excess deaths worldwide. South-East Asia accounted for the highest number of these deaths with about 5.99 million excess deaths due to the pandemic. This statistic shows the cumulative mean number of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide as of the end of 2021, by region.

Russia had over 23 million COVID-19 cases as of October 22, 2023. Over the past week, that figure increased by nearly 20 thousand. Russia had the 10th-highest number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases worldwide. Debate about COVID-19 deaths in Russia The number of deaths from the disease was lower than in other countries most affected by the pandemic. Several foreign media sources, including New York Times and Financial Times, published articles suggesting that the official statistics on the COVID-19 death toll in Russia could be lowered. A narrow definition of a death from COVID-19 and a general increase in mortality in Moscow were pointed out while suggesting why actual death figures could be higher than reported. Russian explanation of lower COVID-19 deaths Experts and lawmakers from Russia provided several answers to the accusations. Among them were the fact that Russians timely reported symptoms to doctors, a high number of tests conducted, as well as a higher herd immunity of the population compared to other countries. In a letter to the New York Times, Moscow’s health department head argued that even if all the additional death cases in the Russian capital in April 2020 were categorized as caused by the COVID-19, the city’s mortality rate from the disease would still be lower than in cities like New York or London.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

It is estimated that by the end of 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic had caused around 14.9 million excess deaths worldwide. This statistic shows the cumulative mean number of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide in 2020-2021, by month.

As of January 13, 2023, Bulgaria had the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths among its population in Europe at 548.6 deaths per 100,000 population. Hungary had recorded 496.4 deaths from COVID-19 per 100,000. Furthermore, Russia had the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Europe, at over 394 thousand.

Number of cases in Europe During the same period, across the whole of Europe, there have been over 270 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. France has been Europe's worst affected country with around 38.3 million cases, this translates to an incidence rate of approximately 58,945 cases per 100,000 population. Germany and Italy had approximately 37.6 million and 25.3 million cases respectively.

Current situation In March 2023, the rate of cases in Austria over the last seven days was 224 per 100,000 which was the highest in Europe. Luxembourg and Slovenia both followed with seven day rates of infections at 122 and 108 respectively.

Since the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy, started in February 2020, many people who contracted the infection died. The number of deaths amounted to 198,683 as of January 8, 2025. On December 3, 2020, 993 patients died, the highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic. The region with the highest number of deaths was Lombardy, which is also the region that registered the highest number of coronavirus cases. Italy's death toll was one of the most tragic in the world. In the last months, however, the country saw the end to this terrible situation: as of November 2023, roughly 85 percent of the total Italian population was fully vaccinated. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.