The World Health Organization(WHO) has estimated that nearly 15 million people have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years.

According to a WHO report released on Thursday, about 14-point-nine million people around the world died as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19 between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021.

The WHO said the estimated range of excess deaths was 13-point-three million to 16-point-six million over the 24-month period.

The 14-point-nine million figure means one out of 500 people around the world died given the global population of seven-point-nine billion.

The figure is two-point-seven times larger than the five-point-four million deaths officially reported to the global health body during that period.

The WHO said the latest data includes people who died from complications due to COVID-19 as well as indirect deaths, such as people who did not or could not seek treatment due to the overwhelmed health systems.