Diabetes Is Among the Leading Causes of Death in India

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in India, according to the latest census data, published last month. Between 2021 and 2023, approximately 3.5 percent of the country’s total deaths were attributed to diabetes, with the highest proportions observed in the Southern region (4.6 percent) and the Northern regions (4.1 percent). Women faced a higher risk of death from diabetes than men, at 4.1 percent compared to 3.1 percent of total deaths, respectively.

As the following chart shows, the most common causes of death in India were cardiovascular disease (31 percent), respiratory infections (9.3 percent), malignant and other neoplasms i.e. cancers (6.4 percent), respiratory diseases (5.7 percent) and digestive diseases (5.3 percent). Fever of an unknown origin was also recorded as a major killer, especially among women (6.0 percent compared to 4.9 percent for men). Men were slightly more at risk of death from unintentional injuries (excluding motor vehicle accidents) at 3.8 percent compared to women at 3.6 percent.

People living in rural areas were more likely to die from respiratory diseases, fevers and unintentional injuries (other than motor vehicle accidents) than other causes of death. While death rates for respiratory infections, cancer, digestive diseases and diabetes were slightly higher among urban nationals.

A new study published by The Lancet has found that by 2023, chronic lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, chronic lung disease and strokes had overtaken infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea and pneumonia as the most common forms of death. Where diarrheal diseases were the most fatal cause of death in 1990, by 2023 it was ischemic heart disease. These changes will reshape the landscape for local policies, healthcare investment and long-term care approaches.