Mon May 12 17:13:23 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal’s Excess Deaths During Pandemic Far Exceed Official COVID-19 Toll

**Kolkata, May 13, 2025** – A new report reveals a stark discrepancy between the official COVID-19 death toll and the actual number of excess deaths in West Bengal during the pandemic. The 2021 Civil Registration System (CRS) report, released by the Central Government, shows a staggering 86,736 excess deaths in West Bengal between 2020 and 2021 – more than four times the state’s officially reported COVID-19 death toll of 20,619.

This significant disparity suggests a substantial underreporting of COVID-19 fatalities in the state. The excess deaths were particularly high in rural areas, accounting for approximately 84% of the total, with rural men disproportionately affected. Hooghly district recorded the highest spike in deaths, with 13,661 excess deaths in 2021 compared to 2020.

Ashin Chakraborty, a researcher at the Sabar Institute, a Kolkata-based data analysis think tank, attributes the discrepancy to inadequate diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients, highlighting deficiencies in West Bengal’s public healthcare system. He also points out that the focus on urban areas during the pandemic may have obscured the severity of the crisis in rural regions.

Dr. Anirban Dolui, a public health expert and a nodal officer of the West Bengal government’s COVID-19 task force, suggests that while the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19 could lead to deaths registered under other causes (like circulatory and respiratory diseases), the lack of data on deaths outside medical facilities further contributes to the discrepancy.

The report also notes anomalies, such as a significant decrease in registered deaths in North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts in 2021 compared to 2020, which require further investigation. The nationwide CRS report indicated nearly 2.1 million excess deaths in 2021 compared to 2020. This alarming data underscores the need for a comprehensive review of pandemic response and healthcare infrastructure in West Bengal.

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