E-Paper
How many people died of Covid-19 in Bengaluru in 2020?
Bengaluru’s death rate increased by a whopping 15.5% in the year 2020 surpassing the national average of 6%, according to the latest statistics accessed from the Civil Registration System (CRS) data.
Bengaluru’s death rate has increased by 15.5% in the year 2020 (the first year of Covid in the country) surpassing the national average of 6%, according to the latest statistics accessed from the Civil Registration System (CRS) data. Meanwhile, deaths in Karnataka has seen a rise of 8.5% in the same period.
Data procured based on death certificates issued by authorities suggests, that in 2019, 72,861 people died due to various reasons. In 2020, there was a clear addition of 11,325 deaths including 4,330 Covid-related fatalities according to the data shared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
While there is an increase in the death rate it should be noted that the pandemic's impact was felt in March co-inciding with the lockdown. Also, among the deaths, only those that are registered are accounted for. If sources are to be believed as per these figures the annual death in 2021 could be much higher.
In absolute terms, the CRS data shows that the number of registered deaths has gone up from 76.4 lakh in 2019 to 81.2 lakh in 2020. Apart from Karnataka, other states like Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nādu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and Haryana have also witnessed a huge spike in registered deaths between 2019 and 2020.
Interestingly, infant deaths are reported to have dropped from 17,286 in 2014 to 10,648 in 2019 and 8,620 in 2020 in the state. But, with the increase in death numbers, the state has also witnessed a considerable decrease in birth too. In 2020,1,44,186 were born in Bengaluru Urban district down from 1,59181 registered in 2019.Though there has been an occasional rise in birth rates in the state, it is decreasing consistently except in 2016.
In 2011, 11,08,562 births were registered. And it is noteworthy that 2020 was the year in the history of this century when the births in the state had fallen below a million annually.
Instead, the number of fatalities went up with age. Out of 5,51,808 deaths registered in the year 2020 39.9% of people were under 70 years old in Karnataka as per death statistics of the state.
As per the data, of the total- 1.56% died within a year; 0.1% in the first year; 0.5% when they are less than five years old;1.97% within 15 years of age; 4.27% died under 25 years; 7.62% under 35; 12.8% under 45 years; 18.2% under 55; 12% under65.
Meanwhile in a recent development followed by WHO’s report on excess deaths in India and recent controversy around covid fatalities numbers Dr K Sudhakar, Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Karnataka, tweeted on May 6, 2022, “The figures for those who died of coronavirus in Karnataka are clear. The state has a transparent system to record corona statistics, and so far, 40,060 people have died of coronal infection. No speculation about corona statistics, no need to listen to misconceptions.”
