Goa’s population growth slows, 47% of natural deaths due to cancer and heart diseases

PANAJI: The Economic Survey 2024-25, tabled in the assembly on Wednesday, projects Goa's population for 2025 at 15.96 lakh as against 15.87 lakh in the previous year. The report also projects a grim picture with a higher infant mortality rate and a decline in the natural population due to an increase in deaths because of diseases such as heart ailments, cancers, and diabetes.

Such illnesses form the cause of over 47% of natural deaths in Goa.
"The death rate in the state works out to be 9.40 per thousand population during 2022, however, it has showed an increase during the year 2023 and stood at 9.50 per thousand population," the Economic Survey says.
"It has been noticed that natural deaths, particularly due to heart diseases, heart attacks, cancer, and diabetes are the most common causes of deaths in the state which accounts for 47.44% of the total deaths of which 42.33% are males and 54.46% are females."
As against this, 6.15% of deaths occurred due to unnatural causes such as drowning, bites or stings of venomous animals, accidental burns, accidental poisoning, road accidents, and suicide.
"The infant mortality rate of Goa deteriorated in the year 2023, as the state recorded 10.73 infant deaths per thousand live births, as against 8.83 infant deaths per thousand live births in the year 2022," the survey says.