  The years 2020 and 2021 were characterized by the covid-19 pandemic. The true
impact of the pandemic on populations health and life has still to be
completely discerned. Objective difficulties to account deaths due to covid-19,
determined the risk of underestimating such impact, hence official mortality
data started to be examined. The main objective of this work is to discern the
true impact of covid-19 in EU during the crucial years 2020 and 2021. The
mortality trends, already increasing in EU in pre-pandemic years, are modelled.
The excess mortality attributable to covid-19, on yearly basis, is estimated
via a novel strategy combining datasets from different official sources.
Considering demographic and geographic factors, new indexes are formulated,
which allow rankings of EU countries, and socio-political and economic
reflections. The new indexes here formulated provide a different perspective to
see the relative impact of the pandemic in EU. This work, also in line with the
conclusions of previously published authoritative papers on demographic studies
of excess mortality, represents an original methodology, which timely
implemented, can be at the service of public decision makers for future
emerging needs.
