1 in every 36 infants in India dies before first birthday: Govt data

Here's some worrying data about infant mortality in India. Official government data suggests that one in every 36 infants dies within the first year of their life despite a decline in the country's infant mortality rate over the past few decades.

The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per 1000 live births in a given time period and for a given region. The IMR data, widely accepted as a rough indicator of the overall health scenario of a country, was recently released by the Registrar General of India. 

Also Read: Weather update: Heatwave to return in parts of Delhi; IMD issues yellow alert

Data suggests that the present level of IMR -- 28 infant deaths per 1000 live births for the year 2020 -- is less than one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129 infant deaths per thousand live births).

In fact, in the last decade, the IMR saw a decline of about 36 per cent. and the IMR at the all-India level has declined from 44 to 28 in the last decade. The corresponding decline in rural areas is 35 per cent (from 48 deaths to 31 per 1000 live births), and 34 per cent in urban areas (from 29 deaths to 19 per 1000 live births).

However, the data also showed that one in every 36 infants died within the first year of their life across the country despite the decline in the IMR over the last decades, 

Madhya Pradesh (43) reported the maximum infant mortality rate in 2020 while Mizoram (3) reported the least.

The birth rate, which measures the fertility of a population and crucial aspect of population growth, too declined drastically at the all-India level over the last five decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 19.5 in 2020. However, in the last five decades, the birth rate has remained higher in rural areas compared to urban areas.

The birth rate has declined by about 11 per cent in the last decade to 19.5 in 2020 from 21.8 in 2011. The corresponding decline in rural areas has been about 9 per cent, from 23.3 to 21.1, and for urban areas, it is from 17.6 to 16.1.

Also Read: Karnataka's Srirangapatna tense over VHP's call for puja at Jamia mosque