July 20, 2021
A study by a Washington think tank is providing the latest evidence that India's coronavirus death toll may be millions higher than the official government tally. The NGO, called the Center for Global Development, says that India has experienced 4.9 million excess deaths since the start of the pandemic through June this year. That means that 4.9 million more people have died than would normally occur during that time period from natural causes, accidents, and other regular, non-COVID-related issues. For reference, India's official COVID tally is 414,000 dead, third highest in the world behind Brazil, at 542,000, and the United States, with 608,000.