Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has emerged as one of the most accurate states in reporting COVID-19 deaths, according to the latest Civil Registration System (CRS) data. During the pandemic period, the state reported 44,235 official COVID deaths, while CRS figures show 68,981 excess deaths—a difference that is relatively low compared to discrepancies reported by many other Indian states.
Experts say this small gap reflects Kerala’s transparent and diligent approach to death reporting. While under-reporting of COVID deaths was a major issue across India due to lack of testing, administrative challenges, or data suppression, Kerala’s robust healthcare tracking system helped it stay closer to the actual figures.
The CRS data measures “excess deaths”—the number of deaths recorded above the expected average in a given year—as a reliable indicator of the pandemic’s impact. In many Indian states, this number was several times higher than the official COVID death toll, suggesting significant under-reporting.
Kerala’s difference between excess deaths and confirmed COVID fatalities remains within a 56% range, while in some other states, it exceeded 200% or more. Health officials in Kerala had previously revised death data after including post-COVID complications and unreported cases, which also contributed to the state’s more accurate count.
The figures once again highlight Kerala’s relatively transparent public health governance and its commitment to accurate data, even in the face of crisis.
