India experienced its first decline in life expectancy at birth in nearly 50 years during the period 2017-2021, largely due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Life Expectancy Decline

• The life expectancy at birth decreased from 70 years during 2016-2020 to 69.8 years in 2017-2021.
• The decline is a significant demographic indicator, reflecting the pandemic's impact.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic

The pandemic drastically increased mortality rates in India, particularly during the second wave in 2021.

• Annual registered deaths surged to over 10.2 million in 2021, a 26% increase from the previous year.
• In 2020, deaths increased by over 6% compared to 2019.
• Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and several other states reported higher deaths between 2020 and 2021.

Covid-related Fatalities

• Covid-19 deaths increased from 160,618 in 2020 to 413,580 in 2021, a 157.5% rise.

Other Health Impacts

The pandemic also influenced deaths from various health issues:

• Respiratory diseases: Deaths rose by 68.5%, from 181,160 to 305,191.
• Circulatory system diseases: Increased by 22.9%, from 580,751 to 714,072.
• Infectious and parasitic diseases: Increased by 14.3%.
• Endocrine, nutritional & metabolic diseases: Rose by 2%.
• Injury & poisoning: Increased by 2.4%.

Decreases in Mortality

• Neoplasms (cancers) and certain perinatal conditions saw a slight decline in deaths, by 5.5% and 3.2% respectively.

The pandemic has significantly reshaped India's mortality landscape, especially due to the Delta variant wave in 2021.