The five southern States together reported 27,913 deaths due to neoplasms in 2023, accounting for 30.7 percent of India’s total 90,961 cancer deaths.
Published Dec 27, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 27, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Cancer
Synopsis: Kerala recorded the highest cancer mortality rate in the country in 2023, with the disease accounting for 13.6 percent of all medically certified deaths, nearly three times the national average. The southern States together contributed nearly a third of India’s total cancer deaths, with digestive cancers emerging as the leading cause both regionally and nationally.
Kerala recorded the highest cancer mortality rate among the southern States, with cancer accounting for 13.6 percent of all medically certified deaths in 2023, nearly three times the national average of 4.78 percent, according to the Report on Medical Certification of Cause of Death released by the Office of the Registrar General of India.
The State reported 4,719 deaths due to neoplasms out of 34,613 medically certified deaths, placing it at the top of India’s cancer burden rankings. This proportion is significantly higher than Karnataka’s 7.01 percent, Tamil Nadu’s 3.83 percent, Andhra Pradesh’s 1.62 percent and Telangana’s 1.55 percent.
Cancers of the digestive organs caused 1,441 deaths in Kerala, accounting for 4.16 percent of all medically certified deaths and 30.5 percent of all cancer deaths in the State. This category includes cancers of the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and other digestive organs.
Respiratory and intrathoracic cancers accounted for 743 deaths, or 2.15 percent of medically certified deaths, making them the second deadliest cancer type in the State. Cancers of the lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissues caused 703 deaths, accounting for 2.03 percent.
Breast, bone and skin cancers together accounted for 508 deaths, or 1.47 percent, while genitourinary cancers caused 490 deaths, or 1.42 percent. Cancers of the oral cavity, lip and pharynx resulted in 299 deaths, or 0.86 percent.
Cancers of the brain, eye and central nervous system accounted for 106 deaths, or 0.31 percent, while cancers of other and unspecified sites caused 348 deaths, accounting for 1.01 percent.
Karnataka reported 10,110 deaths due to neoplasms, representing 7.01 percent of 144,189 medically certified deaths. In absolute terms, this placed Karnataka second among the southern States, though its percentage remained well below Kerala’s.
Cancers of the digestive organs dominated cancer mortality in Karnataka, with 3,040 deaths, accounting for 2.11 percent of medically certified deaths. This constituted 30.1 percent of all cancer deaths in the State and the highest absolute number of digestive cancer deaths in the southern region.
Respiratory and intrathoracic cancers caused 1,384 deaths, or 0.96 percent, while genitourinary cancers accounted for 1,364 deaths, or 0.95 percent. Breast, bone and skin cancers resulted in 1,227 deaths, accounting for 0.85 percent.
Cancers of other and unspecified sites caused 1,151 deaths, or 0.80 percent, while lymphoid and haematopoietic cancers accounted for 855 deaths, or 0.59 percent. Cancers of the oral cavity caused 700 deaths, or 0.49 percent, the highest in the southern region for this cancer type.
Tamil Nadu recorded 10,385 deaths due to neoplasms, representing 3.83 percent of 271,047 medically certified deaths. While the State reported the highest absolute number of cancer deaths in the south, its proportion remained significantly lower than that of Kerala and Karnataka.
Cancers of other and unspecified sites dominated cancer mortality in Tamil Nadu, with 2,903 deaths, accounting for 1.07 percent of medically certified deaths and 28 percent of all cancer deaths in the State. This high proportion of unspecified cancers points to possible challenges in diagnostic classification.
Cancers of the digestive organs caused 2,029 deaths, or 0.75 percent, while respiratory cancers accounted for 1,056 deaths, or 0.39 percent. Breast, bone and skin cancers resulted in 1,015 deaths, or 0.37 percent.
Lymphoid and haematopoietic cancers caused 970 deaths, or 0.36 percent, while genitourinary cancers accounted for 853 deaths, or 0.31 percent. Cancers of the oral cavity resulted in 571 deaths, or 0.21 percent.
Andhra Pradesh reported 1,274 deaths due to neoplasms, accounting for 1.62 percent of 78,522 medically certified deaths, the lowest proportion among the southern States. Cancers of the digestive organs caused 162 deaths, or 0.21 percent, while lymphoid and haematopoietic cancers accounted for 113 deaths, or 0.14 percent.
The State recorded just 26 deaths due to cancers of the oral cavity, or 0.03 percent, 40 deaths due to genitourinary cancers, or 0.05 percent, and 33 deaths due to respiratory cancers, or 0.04 percent.
Telangana showed a similar pattern, with 1,425 deaths due to neoplasms, accounting for 1.55 percent of 92,068 medically certified deaths. Cancers of the digestive organs caused 269 deaths, or 0.29 percent, while cancers of other and unspecified sites accounted for 231 deaths, or 0.25 percent.
Lymphoid and haematopoietic cancers caused 186 deaths, or 0.20 percent, while cancers of the oral cavity resulted in 140 deaths, or 0.15 percent. Respiratory cancers accounted for 111 deaths, or 0.12 percent.
The five southern States together reported 27,913 deaths due to neoplasms in 2023, accounting for 30.7 percent of India’s total 90,961 cancer deaths. This share is disproportionately high, given that the southern States accounted for 632,439 medically certified deaths, or 33.3 percent of the national total of 1,900,956.
Cancers of the digestive organs claimed 6,941 lives across the southern States, making them the deadliest cancer type in the region. This accounted for 29.9 percent of all cancer deaths in India due to digestive cancers, out of a national total of 23,209.
Respiratory and intrathoracic cancers caused 3,327 deaths in the south, accounting for 28.8 percent of the national total of 11,564. Genitourinary cancers accounted for 2,851 deaths, or 27.4 percent of the national total of 10,410.
Lymphoid and haematopoietic cancers caused 2,827 deaths in the southern States, accounting for 28.1 percent of the national total of 10,053, while breast, bone and skin cancers resulted in 2,867 deaths, or 33.2 percent of the national total of 8,635.
Cancers of the oral cavity, lip and pharynx caused 1,736 deaths in the south, accounting for 20.5 percent of the national total of 8,475, with Karnataka alone accounting for 700 of these deaths.
Nationally, deaths due to neoplasms stood at 90,961, accounting for 4.78 percent of 1,900,956 medically certified deaths. Cancers of the digestive organs were the leading cause, with 23,209 deaths, representing 1.22 percent of all medically certified deaths.
Respiratory and intrathoracic cancers caused 11,564 deaths, or 0.61 percent, while genitourinary cancers accounted for 10,410 deaths, or 0.55 percent. Lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue cancers caused 10,053 deaths, accounting for 0.53 percent.
Breast, bone and skin cancers resulted in 8,635 deaths, or 0.45 percent, while cancers of the oral cavity, lip and pharynx accounted for 8,475 deaths, also 0.45 percent.
After Kerala, the States with the highest cancer proportions were Assam at 13.05 percent, Meghalaya at 12.96 percent, Ladakh at 12.85 percent and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 11.15 percent.
In absolute numbers, Maharashtra led nationally with 23,902 deaths due to neoplasms, representing 7.30 percent of 327,389 medically certified deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 10,385 deaths, Karnataka with 10,110 deaths, Delhi with 6,054 deaths and Kerala with 4,719 deaths.
The data on cancer deaths points to stark geographic disparities in reporting and disease burden. Bihar recorded only 436 deaths due to neoplasms, accounting for 1.93 percent of 22,625 medically certified deaths, suggesting possible underreporting or differences in population health profiles.
Similarly, West Bengal reported 3,200 cancer deaths, or 2.39 percent of 134,093 medically certified deaths, significantly below the national average despite its large population.
States in the Northeast showed elevated cancer proportions, with Assam at 13.05 percent, Meghalaya at 12.96 percent and Mizoram at 11.28 percent, indicating a distinct regional disease pattern.
