(Bloomberg) -- Life expectancy is set to drop in Sweden this year as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s statistics agency said.

The average age people live “has increased steadily in Sweden from 1900 to 2019,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday. “The fact that it’s now falling stands out.”

Sweden has suffered a much higher Covid-19 mortality rate than its Nordic neighbors, with its old-age care homes particularly hard hit. The country’s decision not to impose a lockdown remains controversial, and authorities are now shifting gear to place outright bans on some forms of social interaction as the virus continues to spread.

For men, average life expectancy has already fallen to 80.8 in the year through August, from 81.3, Statistics Sweden said. For women, it fell to 84.4 from 84.7.

Based on the development so far, “Life expectancy in Sweden will most likely fall this year,” the agency said. The biggest drop is expected to hit the greater Stockholm area, it said.

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