Bengaluru: Karnataka’s registered births crossed the 10-lakh mark in 2025 — a first in two years — but the state’s birth rate remained about 30% below its 2000 level, while registered deaths have climbed 60% over the same period, official data show.The state registered nearly 10.2 lakh live births in 2025, up from more than 9.9 lakh in 2024. The number of registered deaths also increased, from 5.5 lakh to 5.6 lakh. The birth rate rose marginally from 13.9 to 14.1 per 1,000 population, while the death rate increased from more than 7.9 to nearly 8.1.The longer series, however, shows a marked demographic shift. Karnataka’s registered birth rate was around 20 in 2000. It had fallen to 18.3 by 2010, 14.3 by 2020 and 14.1 in 2025, a decline of about 30% in 25 years. Registered births themselves have remained relatively stable over this period, rising only from nearly 10.1 lakh in 2000 to nearly 10.2 lakh in 2025.The decline becomes clearer when the data are viewed by the decade. Registered births rose sharply through the 1980s and 1990s, from 4.6 lakh in 1980 to 7.8 lakh in 1990 and 10.1 lakh in 2000. They subsequently crossed 11 lakh in 2011 and peaked at 11.2 lakh in 2012, before entering a broadly downward trend.The birth rate, meanwhile, climbed from 12.7 in 1980 to 17.6 in 1990 and 20 in 2000, before beginning its sustained decline. It was still nearly at 18.9 in 2007 and 19.3 in 2008, but had dropped to 16.4 by 2015 and 14.6 by 2018.Prof CM Lakshmana from Population Research Centre, The Institute for Social and Economic Change, said: “The continuing decline in birth rate can be attributed to two main factors while there could be other underlying ones. First, several families, including those in rural areas, are becoming single-child families from two children a few decades ago. Second, the age at which people get married has increased, which may be affecting fertility in many cases.”Deaths show a different trajectory. Registered deaths rose from 3.5 lakh in 2000 to 3.8 lakh in 2010, then accelerated to 5.5 lakh in 2020 and 5.6 lakh in 2025. The pandemic year 2021 was an outlier, with 6.6 lakh deaths registered, before the number fell to 5.5 lakh in 2022. It has remained above 5.3 lakh since then.As a result, the gap between registered births and deaths has narrowed sharply. In 2000, Karnataka recorded nearly 2.9 births for every registered death. In 2025, the ratio was about 1.8 to 1.The report says the increase in registered events over the decades reflects improvements in registration. It notes: “The response from the public is steadily on the rise”, while describing publicity measures as having produced results.This is important when interpreting the early decades. In 1971, the civil registration system birth rate was equivalent to only 50.5% of the sample registration system rate, while the corresponding figure for deaths was 40.6%. By 1990, these had risen to 62.9% and 58.4%, and by 2000 to 91% and 89.5%. By 2016, both were recorded at 100%.The 2025 figure represents both a one-year movement and the continuation of a longer trend: birth registrations have broadly stabilised around 10 lakh a year, while the birth rate has fallen substantially and registered deaths have increased.—–Narrowing GapYearLive BirthsDeaths19714.7 lakh1.8 lakh19804.6 lakh0.9 lakh19907.8 lakh2.1 lakh200010.1 lakh3.5 lakh201010.7 lakh3.8 lakh20209.9 lakh5.5 lakh20218.9 lakh6.6 lakh202510.2 lakh5.6 lakh1980 death registration is an outlier—–Birth Rate Peaked In 2000■ 1971: 16■ 1980: 12.7■ 1990: 17.6■ 2000: 20■ 2010: 18.3■ 2020: 14.3■ 2025: 14.1——Death Rate Growing■ 1971: 6■ 1980: 2.4■ 1990: 4.7■ 2000: 7■ 2010: 6.5■ 2020: 8.2■ 2025: 8.1(Source: Annual Report On Registration Of Births & Deaths | All figures rounded off)Note: Report says 2025 SRS (sample registration system) rates are unavailable; the 100% CRS (civil registration system)-to-SRS figures shown for 2020-25 use expected rates based on Census 2011 population projections.
