Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the top cause of death in India, accounting for nearly 31% of all deaths, according to the latest Report on Causes of Death: 2021–2023 released by the Sample Registration Survey under the Registrar General of India.
Non-Communicable Diseases Dominate Mortality Share
The report revealed that non-communicable diseases remain the leading causes of death, constituting 56.7% of all fatalities. In comparison, communicable, maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions accounted for 23.4% of deaths. During the COVID-affected period of 2020–2022, these figures stood at 55.7% and 24.0%, respectively.
Top Causes of Death Identified
Overall, cardiovascular diseases ranked first, causing nearly one-third of all deaths. They were followed by respiratory infections (9.3%), malignant and other neoplasms (6.4%), and respiratory diseases (5.7%). Digestive diseases contributed 5.3% of deaths, while fever of unknown origin accounted for 4.9%. Other notable causes included unintentional injuries excluding motor vehicle accidents (3.7%), diabetes mellitus (3.5%), and genitourinary diseases (3.0%).
Age-Specific Causes of Death
The study highlighted that lifestyle-driven cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death among individuals aged 30 and above. However, in the 15–29 age group, intentional injuries—particularly suicide—emerged as the most common cause of death.
Injuries and Ill-Defined Causes
As reported by NDTV, the report noted that injuries made up 9.4% of deaths, while ill-defined causes contributed 10.5%. Importantly, most ill-defined causes were observed in older age groups, especially those aged 70 years or above.
Limitations and Caution in Interpretation
The Registrar General’s office cautioned that some misclassification of causes of death could not be ruled out. Nevertheless, it stressed that the findings offer valuable insights into India’s mortality trends and highlight critical health challenges.
Comprehensive Analysis of Mortality
The report is based on direct data sources and presents causes of death across age, sex, residence, and major zones of the country. It also analyses the top ten causes of death and examines mortality from specific conditions, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and malignancies.