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COVID-19: India Records Over 1 Crore Deaths in 2021

  • 09 May 2025

In May 2025, the Registrar General of India (RGI) released two key reports, highlighting a sharp rise in deaths during 2021 — the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic — with registered fatalities touching over 1 crore for the first time.

Key Points

  • Record Deaths Registered: Deaths increased from 81.2 lakh in 2020 to 102.2 lakh in 2021 — a 26% rise.
  • COVID-19 Impact: Medically certified COVID-19 deaths jumped from 1.6 lakh in 2020 to 4.13 lakh in 2021, making it the second leading cause of death.
  • Other Leading Causes: Circulatory system diseases were the top cause (29.8%), followed by COVID-19 (17.3%) and respiratory illnesses (12.7%).
  • Certification Gaps: Only 23.4% (23.9 lakh) of total deaths in 2021 were medically certified.
  • State-wise Increase: Major contributors to the rise included UP, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Delhi among others.
  • Births Declined: Registered births slightly declined from 242.2 lakh in 2020 to 242.0 lakh in 2021 (0.1% dip).