Table 1.

Top ten causes of deaths in India classified according to areas of residence and gender

Rank	India (all age groups)	Economically backward states	Economically advanced states	Rural populations	Urban populations	Men	Women	Middle-age (25-69 years)
1	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular	Cardiovascular
2	COPD, asthma	Diarrhoeas	COPD, asthma	COPD, asthma	Cancers	COPD, asthma	Diarrhoeas	COPD, asthma
3	Diarrhoea	Respiratory infections	Cancers	Diarrhoeas	COPD, asthma	Tuberculosis	COPD, asthma	Tuberculosis
4	Perinatal	COPD, asthma	Senility	Perinatal	Tuberculosis	Diarrhoeas	Respiratory infections	Cancers
5	Respiratory infections	Perinatal	Diarrhoeas	Respiratory infections	Senility	Perinatal	Senility	Ill-defined
6	Tuberculosis	Tuberculosis	Tuberculosis	Tuberculosis	Diarrhoeas	Cancers	Perinatal	Digestive diseases
7	Cancers	Other infections	Injuries	Cancers	Injuries	Respiratory infections	Cancers	Diarrhoeas
8	Senility	Ill defined	Perinatal	Senility	Ill-defined	Injuries	Ill defined	Injuries
9	Injuries	Injuries	Ill defined	Injuries	Digestive	Ill defined	Tuberculosis	Suicides
10	Ill defined	Malaria	Respiratory infections	Ill defined	Respiratory infections	Senility	Injuries	Malaria

Adapted from Registrar General of India report (2009)²