New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- The number of deaths where Covid-19 was medically certified as the leading cause continued to decrease in 2023 with only 2,040 such cases recorded in the year, down from the peak of 413,000 in 2021. A decline was also recorded in 2023 in deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, which is the biggest certified cause of death in India. However, more than half of this decline was made up by growth of deaths due to respiratory diseases and those due to infections and parasites.

These trends were revealed in the report on the Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD), published by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), under the ministry of home affairs, on Wednesday.

To be sure, the MCCD numbers must be...