Laboratory

Demographic Data

At a Glance Projects Publications Team

Project

Burden of Adult Mortality in India: Socioeconomic Inequality and its Impact on Household Well-Being

Dmitri A. Jdanov, Moradhvaj Dhakad, Domantas Jasilionis; in Collaboration with Marc Luy, Tianyu Shen (both: Vienna Institute of Demography, Austria), Nandita Saikia (International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India)

Detailed Description

Mortality, as the most precise and internationally comparable health dimension, is also considered the most important indicator for determining the effectiveness and success of health policies and programs. Reliable population-level mortality estimates are not available for developing countries. Most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have yet to develop a complete and robust vital registration system, making mortality estimation difficult. Increases in deaths due to noncommunicable chronic diseases and deaths due to violence such as traffic accidents and suicides pose new challenges for achieving sustainable health progress in LMICs. These emerging health threats primarily affect disadvantaged population groups with lower socioeconomic status. Therefore, this project analyzes adult mortality by socioeconomic characteristics from a demographic and public health perspective. First, the proposed study explores regional inequality in adult mortality by gender across the different Indian regions in 1990-2023 and the impact of COVID-19 on adult mortality in 2020-21. Second, the project conducts a systematic assessment of adult mortality disparities by socioeconomic group in order to identify commonalities and differences in the magnitude and patterns of disparities in India. Finally, the project examines the economic impact of potentially avoidable adult deaths on the well-being of households. The scientific outcomes of this project will provide new policy-relevant knowledge about adult mortality patterns and mortality disparities in developing countries, which account for the largest share of adult deaths globally.

Publications

Dhakad, M.; Striessnig, E.; Saikia, N.; KC, S.; Lutz, W.:

For reducing premature adult mortality in India, education matters more than income

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 123:6, e2503809123–e2503809123. (2026)