Death-rate:

• The number of persons per every 1000 persons during any given year is known as death-rate.
• Death-rate =  No. of people died in a given year  Total population  × 1000
• Death-rate is not measured on the basis of percentage but on the basis of number of deaths per 1000 persons.
• The fall in population can be understood from the death-rate.
• By measuring the total deaths in a year the reduction in the population can be understood.

Death-rate in India

Source: Census of India, 2011

Analysis and conclusion:

• In 1951 the death-rate in India was 27.4. This reduced to 7.1 in 2011. The difference between these two years is 27.4 – 7.1 = 20.3. The fall in death-rate is much higher than the fall in birth-rate which is 18.1 for the same period.
• The main reasons for reduction in death-rate are control over famines, improvement in quality of life, availability of nutritional food, increase and improvement in medical services, increases in education and its spread, improvement in medical science, research in the field of surgery, control of infectious diseases, etc.