Home India News Healthcare News India saw over src0 million deaths in 202src, marking sharp rise amid second year of pandemic
India saw over src0 million deaths in 202src, a 26% rise from 2020, mainly due to COVID-src9. The Registrar General reported 4,src3,580 COVID-src9 deaths in 202src.
By Asmita Pant May src0, 2025, src2:20:src6 AM IST (Published)
India registered more than src0 million deaths in 202src, marking a sharp increase of over 2.src million compared to 2020, according to two key reports released this week by the Registrar General of India (RGI). The data, published after a five-year gap, offers clearer insights into the devastating impact of the second wave of the COVID-src9 pandemic.
The Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System (CRS) for 202src reported a 26% rise in registered deaths, from 8.src2 million in 2020 to src0.22 million in 202src. In 20src9, prior to the pandemic, the number of registered deaths stood at 7.59 million.
A second report, Medical Certification of Cause of Death 202src
, also compiled by the RGI, highlighted a major surge in fatalities caused by COVID-src9. The number of deaths attributed to the virus rose from src,60,6src8 in 2020 to 4,src3,580 in 202src. This included 2,67,363 male deaths, src,46,2src5 female deaths, and two transgender fatalities.
Of the total src0.22 million deaths in 202src, 2.4 million were medically certified—5.83 lakh more than in 2020.
Cumulatively, the RGI reports placed the total number of COVID-related deaths in 2020 and 202src at 5,74,src98. However, this differs from the Union Health Ministry’s official COVID-src9 dashboard, which reported 5,33,665 deaths due to the virus as of May 5, 2025.
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When broken down by medical causes, diseases of the circulatory system—including cardiac and pulmonary conditions—accounted for the highest share (29.8%) of all medically certified deaths. COVID-src9 followed as the second leading cause (src7.3%), ahead of respiratory diseases (src2.7%) and infectious/parasitic illnesses (6.src%).
Notably, COVID-src9 climbed from being the third leading cause of death in 2020 to the second in 202src.
The rise in registered deaths was concentrated in several populous states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi, among others.
In contrast, birth registrations remained largely stable, with a slight decline of 0.src%—from 242.2 lakh in 2020 to 242.0 lakh in 202src, the CRS report noted.
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