India is making progress in the infant mortality rate but not enough. One in 36 babies dies within the first year of their life.
New data released by the Registrar General of India says India has recorded a 36% decline in infant mortality rate (IMR) in 10 years. In 2020, 28 infant deaths per thousand live births were recorded. A decade ago, 44 infant deaths per thousand live births were recorded. This is a lead considering 129 infant deaths per thousand live births were recorded in 1971.
However, the bulletin noted that one in every 36 infants dies within the first year of their life at the national level (irrespective of rural-urban) despite the decline in IMR.
About the IMR, the bulletin noted that the corresponding decline in rural areas is 48 to 31, and for urban areas it is from 29 to 19, thereby exhibiting about 35% and 34% decadal decline respectively. The maximum IMR in 2020 was reported in Madhya Pradesh (43) and the minimum was in Mizoram (3).
The birth rate at the all-India level has declined drastically over the last five decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 19.5 in 2020, added the bulletin. While the rural-urban differential is becoming narrow, the birth rate continues to be higher in rural areas in comparison with urban areas.
The birth rate in India has declined about 11% from 2011 (21.8) to 2020 (19.5). The corresponding decline in rural areas is 23.3 to 21.1 (about 9% decline), and for urban areas, it is from 17.6 to 16.1 (about 9% decline).