Number of births declines; deaths rise slightly: report, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• India registered 2.52 crore births in 2023, a decrease of 2.32 lakh from 2022.
• 86.6 lakh deaths were registered in 2023, a slight increase from 86.5 lakh in 2022.
• Jharkhand recorded the lowest sex ratio at birth at 899, while Arunachal Pradesh reported the highest at 1,085.
• The share of institutional births in total registered births is 74.7% in 2023.
• Overall registration of births for the year 2023 stood at 98.4%.

Detailed Insights:

• The Civil Registration System (CRS) report indicates a decrease in births and a marginal increase in deaths in 2023.
• Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no major spike in deaths in 2022 and 2023, unlike 2021 which saw a significant rise.
• Bihar has been consistently recording the lowest sex ratio at birth since 2020, defined as the number of females born per 1,000 males.
• Eleven States/UTs achieved over 90% registration of births within the prescribed time limit of 21 days.
• Five States reported 80-90% registration, while fourteen States reported registration between 50-80%.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Sex Ratio at Birth: Number of females born per 1,000 males, indicating gender balance.
• Civil Registration System (CRS): A comprehensive system for continuous and permanent recording of vital events.
• Institutional Births: Births that occur in a medical facility, reflecting access to healthcare.