On July 1, 2026, the Government of India issued the Civil Registration System Report 2024, marking progress in tracking births, deaths and stillbirths nationwide. Civil registration involves the ongoing, permanent and mandatory recording of key life events. While United Nations standards cover births, deaths, foetal deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions, India’s laws are more limited. The Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1969 addresses births, deaths and stillbirths, with marriages and divorces handled separately.
India’s civil registration began with the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act of 1886 under British rule. Registration stayed uneven until the 1969 Act created a consistent national system for compulsory recording. It appointed local and chief registrars across states and union territories, required yearly statistical reports, and links to the Citizenship Act of 1955 for overseas Indian citizens.
The 2023 amendment brought major updates, including digital registration, electronic certificates and national databases. Birth certificates for children born after October 1, 2023, now serve as proof for multiple services. It eased delayed registration, added protections for vulnerable children, required medical facilities to issue cause-of-death certificates, and allowed special registrars during crises.
The 2024 report lists 25.47 million registered births and 8.94 million registered deaths, with completeness at 99.1 percent for births and 99.4 percent for deaths. These estimates compare registered events to projections from the Sample Registration System rather than confirming every case individually.
Registration levels show a gender gap, with 60.4 percent of deaths recorded as male and 39.6 percent female. This partly reflects demographics and health patterns but raises questions about whether deaths among elderly or disadvantaged women are fully captured. The report also notes an urban-rural split, with more births registered in cities due to institutional deliveries while most deaths occur in rural areas.
Only 24.8 percent of registered deaths took place in health facilities, limiting accurate cause-of-death data. This affects tracking of diseases and public health planning. Future efforts should expand medical certification coverage.
