Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

India’s Infant Mortality Falls to Record Low in 2023, SRS Finds

The official release highlights sharp disparities across regions as well as rural–urban divides, underscoring the need for targeted responses.

Image
Image
A healthcare worker vaccinates an infant in New Delhi | Photo: ANI
Image

Overview

  • Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest IMR at 37, while Manipur posted the lowest at 3 and Kerala was the only large state in single digits at 5.
  • Over the past decade, infant mortality declined from 44 to 28 in rural areas and from 27 to 18 in urban areas, narrowing but not closing the gap.
  • India’s birth rate fell to 18.4 per 1,000 in 2023, down 14% from 2013, with Bihar highest at 25.8 and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands lowest at 10.1.
  • The crude death rate declined to 6.4 per 1,000 in 2023; Chhattisgarh registered the highest at 8.3 and Chandigarh the lowest at 4.0.
  • Analyses note India’s IMR has dipped below the global average but remains above the Asia average, while National Health Mission data show an 83% drop in maternal mortality since 1990.