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In December 2025, the Registrar General of India (RGI) released the “Annual Report on Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) 2023,” which reveals that cardiovascular diseases remain the top killer in India despite a slight percentage decline from the previous year.
- Leading Cause of Death: Diseases of the circulatory system (cardiovascular diseases) were responsible for 36.4% of all medically certified deaths in 2023, down from over 40% in 2022.
- Heart Disease Dominance: Within the circulatory category, more than half of the deaths were attributed to diseases of pulmonary circulation and other specific heart conditions.
- Age-Wise Vulnerability: While circulatory diseases are the leading cause across all cohorts from age 15 onwards, the highest incidence is recorded in the 70+ age group, followed by the 55–64 age bracket.
- Certification Gap: Only 22% of all deaths registered in India’s Civil Registration System (CRS) were medically certified by a doctor in 2023, a marginal 0.3% drop from 2022.
- Secondary Causes: Following circulatory issues, respiratory system diseases were the second most common cause (11.5%), followed by infectious and parasitic diseases (over 8%).
- Gender Trends in Elderly: Among those aged 70 and above, women died from circulatory diseases at a rate 10 percentage points higher than men, though rates were similar in younger age groups.
- Youth Heart Health: The report highlights a concerning trend noted by the Indian Heart Association, where 50% of heart attacks in Indian men now occur under the age of 50.
- State-Level Efficiency: Medically certified deaths are unevenly reported; only Delhi, Goa, Lakshadweep, and Chandigarh certified more than half of their total registered deaths.
