Infant mortality rate in India
Infant Mortality Rate is defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per thousand live births. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)* for India as per the census 2011 was 44. At the National level, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in 2017 Stands at 33.
It varies from 37 in rural areas to 23 in urban areas. Among the bigger States/UTs, it varies from 10 in Kerala to 47 in Madhya Pradesh. Female infants experienced higher mortality than male infants in all States except Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand.
Source: Based on Indian Census 2017 Studies
The Infant Mortality Rate IMR for the country has come down to 33 in 2017 from 42 in 2012, a decline of 9 points over last 5 years and an annual average decline of about 1.8 points. The corresponding decline in rural IMR has been to the tune of 9 points (46 in 2012 to 37 in 2017) against a decline of 5 points in urban IMR (28 in 2012 to 23in 2017).
Both the gender have shown decline in the period 2012-17. Despite this decline, one in every 30 infants at the National level, one in every 27 infants in rural areas and one in every 43 infants in urban areas still die within one year of life.
Infant mortality rate State wise
As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin of the Registrar General of India (RGI), the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at the national level has declined from 37 per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 30 per 1,000 live births in 2019. Among the states, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest IMR at 46, while Kerala had the lowest at 6. Other states with relatively high IMR include Uttar Pradesh (41) and Chhattisgarh (40), whereas Mizoram and Nagaland reported the lowest at just 3. This steady decline reflects improvements in healthcare and maternal-child care services across the country.
| S. No. | State/UT | IMR (2019) (per 1000 live births) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All India | 30 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 25 |
| 3 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 7 |
| 4 | Arunachal Pradesh | 29 |
| 5 | Assam | 40 |
| 6 | Bihar | 29 |
| 7 | Chandigarh | 13 |
| 8 | Chhattisgarh | 40 |
| 9 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 11 |
| 10 | Daman & Diu | 17 |
| 11 | Delhi | 11 |
| 12 | Goa | 8 |
| 13 | Gujarat | 25 |
| 14 | Haryana | 27 |
| 15 | Himachal Pradesh | 19 |
| 16 | J&K (including Ladakh) | 20 |
| 17 | Jharkhand | 27 |
| 18 | Karnataka | 21 |
| 19 | Kerala | 6 |
| 20 | Lakshadweep | 8 |
| 21 | Madhya Pradesh | 46 |
| 22 | Maharashtra | 17 |
| 23 | Manipur | 10 |
| 24 | Meghalaya | 33 |
| 25 | Mizoram | 3 |
| 26 | Nagaland | 3 |
| 27 | Odisha | 38 |
| 28 | Puducherry | 9 |
| 29 | Punjab | 19 |
| 30 | Rajasthan | 35 |
| 31 | Sikkim | 5 |
| 32 | Tamil Nadu | 15 |
| 33 | Telangana | 23 |
| 34 | Tripura | 21 |
| 35 | Uttar Pradesh | 41 |
| 36 | Uttarakhand | 27 |
| 37 | West Bengal | 20 |
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Source: Sample Registration System of Registrar General of India
5 States with the Highest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in India
The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is highest in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Below are the top five states with the highest IMR:
| # | State | Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madhya Pradesh | 46 |
| 2 | Assam | 40 |
| 3 | Uttar Pradesh | 41 |
| 4 | Chhattisgarh | 40 |
| 5 | Odisha | 38 |
5 States with the Lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in India
The Infant Mortality Rate is lowest in Kerala, followed by Nagaland and Mizoram. Below are the top five states with the lowest IMR:
| # | State | Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerala | 6 |
| 2 | Nagaland | 3 |
| 3 | Mizoram | 3 |
| 4 | Sikkim | 5 |
| 5 | Lakshadweep | 8 |
Infant mortality rate Rural Vs Urban India
At the All India level, the Infant mortality rate (IMR) is reported to be 33 and varies from 37 in rural areas to 23 in urban areas. Let’s have look at the Urban & rural Infant mortality rate of Bigger states of India
| Infant mortality rate | Rural | Urban | ||||
| Total | Male | Females | Total | Male | Females | |
| India | 37 | 36 | 37 | 23 | 22 | 25 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 36 | 35 | 36 | 23 | 22 | 25 |
| Assam | 46 | 44 | 49 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
| Bihar | 36 | 34 | 38 | 31 | 29 | 33 |
| Chhattisgarh | 40 | 41 | 38 | 32 | 31 | 33 |
| Delhi | 12 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Gujarat | 36 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 20 | 23 |
| Haryana | 32 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 24 | 26 |
| Himachal Pradesh* | 23 | 22 | 24 | 15 | 18 | 12 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 24 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 17 | 21 |
| Jharkhand | 30 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 19 | 31 |
| Karnataka | 27 | 26 | 28 | 22 | 20 | 24 |
| Kerala | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 51 | 52 | 49 | 32 | 34 | 29 |
| Maharashtra | 23 | 21 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Odisha | 42 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 32 | 33 |
| Punjab | 22 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 20 |
| Rajasthan | 42 | 40 | 43 | 28 | 26 | 30 |
| Tamil Nadu | 19 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Telangana | 33 | 33 | 32 | 23 | 21 | 25 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 44 | 42 | 45 | 33 | 28 | 38 |
| Uttarakhand | 33 | 38 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 32 |
| West Bengal | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 24 |
Source: Based on Indian Census 2017 Studies
Neo-natal mortality rate
Neo-natal mortality rate i.e. number of infant deaths less than 29 days of life per thousand live births. The neo-natal (less than 29 days) mortality rate for the year 2017 both at the National and State levels. At the National level, the neo-natal mortality rate is 23 and ranges from 14 in urban areas to 27 in rural areas. Among the bigger States/UTs, neo-natal mortality ranges from 5 in Kerala to 33 in Madhya Pradesh.
| Neo-natal mortality rate (less than 29 days) | Total | Rural | Urban |
| India | 23 | 27 | 14 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 23 | 27 | 11 |
| Assam | 22 | 23 | 13 |
| Bihar | 28 | 29 | 21 |
| Chhattisgarh | 26 | 27 | 21 |
| Delhi | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| Gujarat | 21 | 26 | 12 |
| Haryana | 21 | 23 | 16 |
| Himachal Pradesh* | 14 | 14 | 10 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 17 | 18 | 14 |
| Jharkhand | 20 | 21 | 13 |
| Karnataka | 18 | 22 | 11 |
| Kerala | 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 33 | 36 | 20 |
| Maharashtra | 13 | 17 | 9 |
| Odisha | 32 | 34 | 23 |
| Punjab | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| Rajasthan | 27 | 30 | 16 |
| Tamil Nadu | 11 | 14 | 8 |
| Telangana | 20 | 23 | 15 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 30 | 33 | 18 |
| Uttarakhand | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| West Bengal | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Source: Based on Indian Census 2017 Studies
Early Neo-natal mortality rate
Early neo-natal mortality rate i.e. number of infant deaths less than seven days of life per thousand live births forms an important component of infant mortality rate and more specifically of the neo-natal mortality rate. At the National level, the early neo-natal mortality rate for the year 2017 has been estimated at 18 and ranges from 21 in rural areas to 10 in urban areas. Among the bigger States/UTs, neonatal mortality rate ranges from 4 in Kerala to 24 in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
| Early neo-natal mortality rate (less than 7 days) | Total | Rural | Urban |
| India | 18 | 21 | 10 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 17 | 21 | 8 |
| Assam | 16 | 17 | 8 |
| Bihar | 21 | 22 | 13 |
| Chhattisgarh | 21 | 22 | 17 |
| Delhi | 11 | 8 | 11 |
| Gujarat | 16 | 20 | 11 |
| Haryana | 15 | 17 | 11 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 13 | 14 | 10 |
| Jharkhand | 16 | 18 | 9 |
| Karnataka | 13 | 17 | 7 |
| Kerala | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 24 | 26 | 17 |
| Maharashtra | 11 | 14 | 7 |
| Odisha | 24 | 25 | 16 |
| Punjab | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Rajasthan | 21 | 24 | 13 |
| Tamil Nadu | 8 1 | 1 5 | 4 |
| Telangana | 14 | 18 | 9 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 23 | 26 | 14 |
| Uttarakhand | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| West Bengal | 13 | 13 | 11 |