Mizoram records higher male mortality rate, concerns over low birth rate

In total, 70,545 people have lost their lives in the state, with male fatalities outnumbering female deaths by 18,933

By Issac Zoramsanga

Mizoram officials from the state economics and statistics department have expressed concern over Mizoram’s high male mortality rate and declining birth rate.

According to the officials, 63.42% of the total deaths in the state from 2011 to 2021 were males, while females accounted for 36.58% of the deaths. The gap between male and female mortality rates is said to be significant, even though it is not significant at birth.

In total, 70,545 people have lost their lives in the state, with male fatalities outnumbering female deaths by 18,933.

The officials also highlighted the causes of death in the state. Infectious and parasitic diseases were the main killers in 2015, while digestive system diseases were caused by intoxicants and extensive tobacco use, with liver diseases topping the causes of deaths from 2016 to 2019.

In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck Mizoram, the main killer was circulatory system disease, while digestive system disease killed many people in 2022.

The state economic and statistics department’s records indicate that the average number of babies conceived by a woman in the state during 1988-1999 and 2005-2006 was three, which was the highest ever in Mizoram.

Reportedly, the current average birth rate is 1.9 children per couple during 2019-2020, which is lower than the recommended minimum of 2 children for women between the ages of 15 to 49.

Experts believe that a birth rate lower than this indicates that the nation is at risk of being devastated, and the community is in danger of being gradually wiped out from the face of the earth.

If the trend of low birth rates continues, the state may have more aged people than young people in the next 20 to 30 years, which may lead to the gradual doom of the Mizo community.

Therefore, the officials urge the public to be aware of their health and lifestyle choices, and for the government to take necessary steps to address the concerns over the declining birth rate and high mortality rate in the state.

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