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.Goa’s maternal mortality rate, however, has significantly improved with 35 deaths per lakh live births in 2023 as compared to 58 deaths per lakh live births in 2022.The total fertility rate in Goa continued to be low at 1.3 children per woman in urban areas and 1.4 children per woman in rural areas, “both being much below the replacement level”.The birth rate in Goa showed a decrease from 10.87 per thousand population in 2022 to 10.73 per thousand population in 2023.“The projected population of the state for 2025 is expected to be approximately 15.96 lakh. The data shows a steady increase in the population of both males and females from 2012 to 2025,” the survey says. “The growth in the state’s overall population is driven by its young population. Nearly 50% of the state’s population is between the age of 15 and 44 years.”Goa’s population according to the 2011 Census is 14.58 lakh.The survey says that a natural increase in the population for five years from 2019 to 2023 shows a decreasing trend.