The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated over 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals in an effort to prevent misuse of their identities. This initiative aims to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database.

To streamline the process of reporting deaths, UIDAI has launched a new service called "Reporting of Death of a Family Member" on the myAadhaar Portal. This service is currently available in 24 states and Union Territories (UTs). It allows family members to report the death of a relative by providing the Aadhaar number and death registration number of the deceased, along with other demographic details. After due validation, UIDAI takes action to deactivate the Aadhaar number. Integration of the portal with the remaining states and UTs is underway.

UIDAI has also requested the Registrar General of India (RGI) to share death records linked with Aadhaar numbers. To date, RGI has provided approximately 1.55 crore death records from 24 states and UTs through the Civil Registration System (CRS). Following validation, around 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers have been deactivated. A similar exercise is ongoing with non-CRS states and UTs, with about 6.7 lakh death records received so far and deactivation in progress.

The deactivation process relies heavily on the Registrar General of India (RGI) sharing death records. According to an RTI response, UIDAI deactivates Aadhaar numbers of deceased holders after due process, based on death records information shared by RGI. Revised guidelines were issued in August 2023, detailing the deactivation mechanism based on death records from the Civil Registration System.

UIDAI cross-verifies the death records against the Aadhaar database, requiring a minimum of 90% accuracy in name matching and 100% accuracy in gender matching. Further checks are conducted to ensure the Aadhaar number was not used for biometric authentication or any updates after the recorded date of death. If post-death activity is detected, further verification is carried out.

While the UIDAI has deactivated 1.17 crore Aadhaar numbers, an RTI query revealed that this figure is significantly lower than the actual number of deaths recorded in the country over the past 14 years. Between 2007 and 2019, India recorded an average of 83.5 lakh deaths every year. As of June 2025, India has 142.39 crore Aadhaar holders. The gap between the number of deaths and Aadhaar deactivations raises concerns about potential misuse of Aadhaar numbers.

The central government has acknowledged these gaps and stated that UIDAI is developing technical solutions for automatic updates. One proposal involves integrating Aadhaar data with the Registrar General of India (RGI) to enable seamless updates.

UIDAI is also exploring the possibility of sourcing death records from banks and other Aadhaar ecosystem entities. Additionally, UIDAI is collaborating with state governments to identify and verify the status of Aadhaar holders aged over 100 years for deactivation.

If a deactivated Aadhaar number is used for authentication, the system alerts the individual and requires them to visit an Aadhaar center or UIDAI Regional Office for biometric verification to request reactivation. UIDAI does not maintain year-wise deactivation data.