Final answer:
The highest death rates globally are influenced by factors such as infant mortality rates, healthcare access, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Developing countries generally have higher death rates compared to developed nations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying the country with the highest death rate can be complex due to variables such as health care system quality, political leadership, and pandemic response. Death rates are influenced by factors like infant mortality, health care access, and infectious diseases like COVID-19. As of 2020, countries with higher death rates were often those with elevated infection and death rates from the pandemic, like the United States and Brazil, or those with high birth and death rates, such as many countries in Africa. Developed countries typically have low birth and death rates leading to low net growth rates, while developing countries, with higher death and birth rates, tend to have large net growth rates. This is depicted in various demographic figures showing a country's journey from high birth and death rates to lower rates as it develops.
The impact of COVID-19 on death rates significantly affected countries worldwide. The disease's spread led to high death tolls, particularly when preventive measures were not adequately implemented. As a result, places like the United States had a marked decrease in average life expectancy by 2023. Furthermore, infant mortality rates are also crucial in understanding overall death rates, with African countries and Afghanistan having the highest rates.