In 2023, the death rate in deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in India stood at ****. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by *****, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in India was reported at 6.611 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

The statistic shows the adult mortality rate in India from 2013 to 2023, by gender. According to the source, the adult mortality rate is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60 - that is, the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages. In 2023, the mortality rate for women was at ****** per 1,000 female adults, while the mortality rate for men was at ****** per 1,000 male adults in India.

The death rate, also known as the mortality rate, measures the frequency of deaths within a specific population over a defined period, typically expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 or 100,000 individuals annually. It is a fundamental demographic indicator that helps assess population health, socioeconomic conditions, and the effectiveness of public health interventions. Various factors influence the death rate, including access to healthcare, nutrition, socioeconomic status, environmental quality, and lifestyle habits. Developed nations often report lower death rates due to advanced healthcare systems, higher standards of living, and effective disease prevention programs. Conversely, developing countries may face higher death rates due to limited healthcare access, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and lower living standards. By analyzing death rate trends, researchers can identify health disparities, evaluate the impact of policy changes, and guide interventions to improve life expectancy and quality of life across different populations.

In 2020, the state of Kerala, with 7.1 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants, had the highest urban death rate. It was followed by Odisha and Chhattisgarh . On the contrary, the region of Delhi had the lowest urban deaths during the same period. Death rates for India between 2004 and 2020 can be found here.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Delhi: Rural data was reported at 4.100 NA in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.800 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Delhi: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 4.700 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.500 NA in 2005 and a record low of 3.700 NA in 2018. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Delhi: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in India was at about 24.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, a significant decrease from previous years. Infant mortality as an indicatorThe infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births. This rate is an important key indicator for a country’s health and standard of living; a low infant mortality rate indicates a high standard of healthcare. Causes of infant mortality include premature birth, sepsis or meningitis, sudden infant death syndrome, and pneumonia. Globally, the infant mortality rate has shrunk from 63 infant deaths per 1,000 live births to 27 since 1990 and is forecast to drop to 8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2100. India’s rural problemWith 32 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, India is neither among the countries with the highest nor among those with the lowest infant mortality rate. Its decrease indicates an increase in medical care and hygiene, as well as a decrease in female infanticide. Increasing life expectancy at birth is another indicator that shows that the living conditions of the Indian population are improving. Still, India’s inhabitants predominantly live in rural areas, where standards of living as well as access to medical care and hygiene are traditionally lower and more complicated than in cities. Public health programs are thus put in place by the government to ensure further improvement.

According to data in India across different age groups from 60 to 85 years and above, the trend indicates a general fall in death rates in the country in the past ten years. In the age-group from 60-64 years there were approximately 22.5 deaths per thousand population in 2008, while in 2013 it was down to 18.4 and increasing slightly in 2018 to 19.5 deaths per thousand population. This was, however, still lower than in 2008.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Karnataka data was reported at 6.200 NA in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 6.200 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Karnataka data is updated yearly, averaging 7.100 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.900 NA in 1998 and a record low of 6.200 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Karnataka data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal: Rural data was reported at 5.300 NA in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.200 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 6.200 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.700 NA in 1998 and a record low of 5.200 NA in 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.

The deaths across India in 2020, majority of deaths among males occurred in the age group of 85 years and older. During that time period, the death rate of over ** per thousand people was reported among less than one year old males in the country.

UNICEF's country profile for India, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

Based on a comparison of coronavirus deaths in 210 countries relative to their population, Peru had the most losses to COVID-19 up until July 13, 2022. As of the same date, the virus had infected over 557.8 million people worldwide, and the number of deaths had totaled more than 6.3 million. Note, however, that COVID-19 test rates can vary per country. Additionally, big differences show up between countries when combining the number of deaths against confirmed COVID-19 cases. The source seemingly does not differentiate between "the Wuhan strain" (2019-nCOV) of COVID-19, "the Kent mutation" (B.1.1.7) that appeared in the UK in late 2020, the 2021 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from India or the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) from South Africa.

The difficulties of death figures

This table aims to provide a complete picture on the topic, but it very much relies on data that has become more difficult to compare. As the coronavirus pandemic developed across the world, countries already used different methods to count fatalities, and they sometimes changed them during the course of the pandemic. On April 16, for example, the Chinese city of Wuhan added a 50 percent increase in their death figures to account for community deaths. These deaths occurred outside of hospitals and went unaccounted for so far. The state of New York did something similar two days before, revising their figures with 3,700 new deaths as they started to include “assumed” coronavirus victims. The United Kingdom started counting deaths in care homes and private households on April 29, adjusting their number with about 5,000 new deaths (which were corrected lowered again by the same amount on August 18). This makes an already difficult comparison even more difficult. Belgium, for example, counts suspected coronavirus deaths in their figures, whereas other countries have not done that (yet). This means two things. First, it could have a big impact on both current as well as future figures. On April 16 already, UK health experts stated that if their numbers were corrected for community deaths like in Wuhan, the UK number would change from 205 to “above 300”. This is exactly what happened two weeks later. Second, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which countries already have “revised” numbers (like Belgium, Wuhan or New York) and which ones do not. One work-around could be to look at (freely accessible) timelines that track the reported daily increase of deaths in certain countries. Several of these are available on our platform, such as for Belgium, Italy and Sweden. A sudden large increase might be an indicator that the domestic sources changed their methodology.

Where are these numbers coming from?

The numbers shown here were collected by Johns Hopkins University, a source that manually checks the data with domestic health authorities. For the majority of countries, this is from national authorities. In some cases, like China, the United States, Canada or Australia, city reports or other various state authorities were consulted. In this statistic, these separately reported numbers were put together. For more information or other freely accessible content, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

India reported almost 45 million cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as of October 20, 2023, with more than 44 million recoveries and about 532 thousand fatalities. The number of cases in the country had a decreasing trend in the past months.

Burden on the healthcare system

With the world's second largest population in addition to an even worse second wave of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be crushing an already inadequate healthcare system. Despite vast numbers being vaccinated, a new variant seemed to be affecting younger age groups this time around. The lack of ICU beds, black market sales of oxygen cylinders and drugs needed to treat COVID-19, as well as overworked crematoriums resorting to mass burials added to the woes of the country. Foreign aid was promised from various countries including the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Additionally, funding from the central government was expected to boost vaccine production.

Situation overview
Even though days in April 2021 saw record-breaking numbers compared to any other country worldwide, a nation-wide lockdown has not been implemented. The largest religious gathering - the Kumbh Mela, sacred to the Hindus, along with election rallies in certain states continue to be held. Some states and union territories including Maharashtra, Delhi, and Karnataka had issued curfews and lockdowns to try to curb the spread of infections.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Punjab: Rural data was reported at 8.300 NA in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Punjab: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 7.700 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.300 NA in 2020 and a record low of 6.600 NA in 2016. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Punjab: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

In 2020, 108 out of 1,000 elderly people living in rural India, died at an age between 80 and 84 years old. The highest death rate was among elderly people who were 85 years or older in the country.

Number and percentage of deaths, by month and place of residence, 1991 to most recent year.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Kerala: Rural data was reported at 7.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.100 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Kerala: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 6.800 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.300 NA in 2016 and a record low of 6.000 NA in 2004. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Kerala: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.

Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Telangana: Urban data was reported at 4.200 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.300 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Telangana: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 4.500 NA from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.900 NA in 2015 and a record low of 4.200 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Telangana: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH003: Vital Statistics: Death Rate: by States.