New Delhi: India registered 8.6 million deaths in 2022, the lowest annual toll during the Covid-19 pandemic period. This marks a 15% decline from 2021, the deadliest pandemic year, signaling that mortality rates may be returning to pre-pandemic levels, thanks to wider vaccine coverage and milder virus strains.
However, fresh data indicates lingering stress in India’s healthcare system, including possible undercounting of Covid-related deaths and a high number of deaths without medical attention, according to two reports released on Thursday by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) — under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
📊 Key Findings from the ORGI Reports
1. Deaths Down, But Still Higher Than Expected
- India recorded 8,649,930 deaths in 2022, down from 10.2 million in 2021.
- However, based on 2019’s death rate (6.2 per 1,000 population), expected deaths for 2022 would have been 8,554,450 — indicating a surplus of nearly 95,480 deaths.
- States, however, reported only 50,435 Covid-19 deaths in 2022, suggesting possible underreporting.
2. Covid-19 Undercounting in 12 States/UTs
- The Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) report identified 12 states/UTs that undercounted Covid-related fatalities.
- These jurisdictions reported 6,076 Covid deaths, but MCCD attributed 12,818 to Covid — more than double.
- Nationally, MCCD reported 25,393 Covid deaths, while pandemic bulletins reported 50,435. The difference is largely due to low MCCD coverage, which captures just 20% of all deaths.
3. High Proportion of Deaths Without Medical Attention
- 50.7% of registered deaths in 2022 occurred without medical attention — a sharp rise from 34.5% in 2019.
- This ratio was 47.3% in 2021 and 45% in 2020, reflecting an incomplete post-pandemic recovery in healthcare access.
🧮 Crude Death Rate Trends
- The Crude Death Rate (CDR) in 2021 jumped to 7.5 per 1,000, up from 6.2 in 2019.
- The 2022 SRS-based CDR isn’t published yet, but based on population projections and registered deaths, CDR is estimated at 6.3 — returning close to pre-Covid levels.
- Historically, SRS estimates have been slightly higher than those derived from Civil Registration System (CRS) data.
🧾 About the Reports:
- CRS Report 2022: Records all registered births and deaths in India.
- MCCD Report 2022: Captures a subset of CRS deaths with medical certification of cause — often used to verify disease-specific mortality like Covid-19.
🔍 Conclusion
While India’s death rate is stabilising, key indicators — such as excess deaths, underreporting of Covid fatalities, and deaths without medical attention — highlight the lasting toll of the pandemic and underscore the need for more accurate death certification and better healthcare access.