New Delhi, May 21 -- On 7 May, the government released the much-awaited Sample Registration System data, after a gap of three years as opposed to the usual two-year gap, which offered a glimpse into the key trends in births, deaths, fertility, and gender ratio, among others.

An earlier Mint explainer explored 'excess deaths' in India in 2021, a year which saw a devastating second wave of covid. Beyond the excess deaths, the report also shows a decline in life expectancy in the latest period and a rise in respiratory infections as a cause of death, both of which may be linked to covid. At the same time, the report also reveals improvements in several indicators related to births.

Mint explores these aspects in five charts:

For the first...