Overview

• India's Civil Registration System (CRS) data confirms 1,554,334 excess deaths in 2020-21, a 9.3% rise over expected mortality.
• This figure is significantly lower than model-based estimates by WHO and other studies, which projected 41–47 lakh excess deaths.
• Excess deaths include reported and unreported COVID-19 deaths, deaths from other causes, and indirect pandemic effects, with improved registration processes contributing to higher counts.
• India's excess mortality rate is lower than many high- and middle-income countries, including the US (17.6%), Italy (11.8%), and Mexico (43.6%).
• The government attributes its lower mortality rate to a robust pandemic response, including administering over 220 crore vaccine doses, saving an estimated 34 lakh lives in 2021 alone.