India’s Infant Mortality Rate Falls to 24, But Sharp State-Level Gaps Persist

By: Shreya Maheshwari

India has reduced its infant mortality rate from 30 in 2019 to 24 in 2024, according to the latest SRS data. The decline marks continued progress in reducing infant deaths, though wide differences between states continue to remain a major concern.

India’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has continued to decline over the past few years, falling from 30 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019 to 24 in 2024, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) report released by the Registrar General of India. The decline translates into an average reduction of nearly one point every year, signalling continued improvement in child survival across the country.

Yet, behind the national average lies a deeply uneven picture. Chhattisgarh reported the highest IMR in the country at 36 deaths per 1,000 live births, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, both at 35. Among the bigger states and Union Territories, Kerala recorded the lowest IMR at 8, while Tamil Nadu and Delhi each reported 11. Among the smaller states, Goa and Sikkim performed even better, recording an IMR of 7, more than three times lower than the national average.

The report noted that rural India saw a marginally sharper decline in infant mortality than urban areas. Rural IMR declined by 36%, compared to 35% in urban India. Despite this decline, nationally, one in every 42 infants still dies before completing one year of life. In rural areas, the figure stands at one in 37 infants, while in urban India it is one in 59.

A major factor behind the fall in infant mortality has been the rise in institutional deliveries. The share of live births where mothers received medical attention in government or private hospitals increased from below 83% in 2019 to more than 95% in 2024.

But the data also suggests that institutional delivery alone does not guarantee lower infant deaths. Chhattisgarh presents a striking example. Even though institutional deliveries in the state rose sharply from over 77% to 97% between 2019 and 2024, it continued to record the highest infant mortality rate in the country. The state also saw the slowest improvement in IMR over the longer term. Between 2012-14 and 2022-24, Chhattisgarh’s IMR declined from 45 to 37, a reduction of just 18.3%. In contrast, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the sharpest improvement during the same period, with IMR falling by 62.7%, from 37 to 14.

Nationally, India reduced its IMR by 37.4% between 2012-14 and 2022-24, a faster pace of decline than the previous decade. Between 2002-04 and 2012-14, IMR had fallen by 33.2%, from 60.3 to 40.3.

The rural-urban divide remains significant in several states. Assam reported the widest gap, with rural IMR at 31 compared to 14 in urban areas. The data also reveals gender differences in infant mortality. Among the larger states, Bihar recorded the highest gender gap. The IMR for male infants in Bihar stood at 21, compared to 25 for female infants. Jammu and Kashmir showed the opposite trend, where male infant mortality was higher at 16 compared to 12 for females.

A large share of infant deaths in India continues to occur within the first month of life. The neonatal mortality rate (NMR)- which measures deaths within the first 28 days after birth- accounted for nearly 73% of all infant deaths in 2024, up from 67.6% in 2014. India’s overall neonatal mortality rate stood at 18 deaths per 1,000 live births. Kerala recorded the lowest NMR among bigger states and Union Territories at 6, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had the highest rate at 26, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh at 25.

The latest SRS data shows that while India has made steady progress in reducing infant deaths, improvements remain uneven across regions, gender and rural-urban populations, leaving major gaps in child survival outcomes across the country.