UNICEF's country profile for India, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in India was at about 24.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, a significant decrease from previous years. Infant mortality as an indicatorThe infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births. This rate is an important key indicator for a country’s health and standard of living; a low infant mortality rate indicates a high standard of healthcare. Causes of infant mortality include premature birth, sepsis or meningitis, sudden infant death syndrome, and pneumonia. Globally, the infant mortality rate has shrunk from 63 infant deaths per 1,000 live births to 27 since 1990 and is forecast to drop to 8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2100. India’s rural problemWith 32 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, India is neither among the countries with the highest nor among those with the lowest infant mortality rate. Its decrease indicates an increase in medical care and hygiene, as well as a decrease in female infanticide. Increasing life expectancy at birth is another indicator that shows that the living conditions of the Indian population are improving. Still, India’s inhabitants predominantly live in rural areas, where standards of living as well as access to medical care and hygiene are traditionally lower and more complicated than in cities. Public health programs are thus put in place by the government to ensure further improvement.

The infant mortality rate in India, for children under the age of one year old, was over 204 deaths per thousand births in 1915. This means that for all babies born in 1915,more than one fifth did not survive past their first birthday. This rate fluctuated over the next four decades, but since the mid-1900s, India's infant mortality rate has fallen from 181 to 32 deaths per thousand births in 2020, meaning that over three percent of all babies born today do not make it to their first birthday.

Historical dataset showing India infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Forecast: Infant Mortality Rate in India 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2020, the state of Madhya Pradesh, with 47 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, recorded the highest rural infant mortality rate in India. Other regions with high mortality rates included Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. On the contrary, Delhi recorded the lowest figures for the category during the same period.

India Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 28.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 30.000 NA for 2019. India Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 73.000 NA from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2020, with 50 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 140.000 NA in 1975 and a record low of 28.000 NA in 2020. India Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.GAH001: Vital Statistics.

The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is a key indicator of a country’s healthcare quality, representing the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births within the first year of life. High IMR is often linked to poverty, limited access to healthcare, malnutrition, and poor sanitation, while low IMR reflects better healthcare services, sanitation, maternal care, and socioeconomic conditions. This rate varies widely worldwide, with low-income countries experiencing the highest rates due to preventable causes like infections, birth complications, and preterm births. Interventions that improve maternal health, vaccination, prenatal care, and nutrition have been shown to reduce IMR significantly. Global health organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, actively work to lower IMR through policies, programs, and funding aimed at health education, sanitation, and nutrition in underserved regions. Monitoring IMR helps track health improvements and highlights areas needing urgent attention in healthcare and policy.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Gujarat data was reported at 23.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Gujarat data is updated yearly, averaging 48.000 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 64.000 NA in 1998 and a record low of 23.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Gujarat data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH005: Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: by States.

Forecast: Female Infant Mortality Rate in India 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: West Bengal data was reported at 19.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 20.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: West Bengal data is updated yearly, averaging 33.000 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 53.000 NA in 1998 and a record low of 19.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: West Bengal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH005: Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: by States.

The state with the highest IMR in India between 2011 and 2015 was Madhya Pradesh, which presented an IMR of ** per thousand infants. From 2031 to 2035, the highest projected IMRs were to be seen in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with ** and ** deaths per thousand infants respectively. Countries with high IMR rates are indicative of subpar standards not only in terms of medical treatment, but also relative to sanitation, nutrition, and education. The infant mortality rate (IMR) is a health indicator of the general physical health of a society. The IMR measures the amount of human deaths that take place within a group, under the age of one year.

Infant mortality rate of India fell by 4.30% from 25.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 24.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Since the 4.71% decline in 2013, infant mortality rate plummeted by 39.51% in 2023. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

In 2020, the state of Chhattisgarh, with 31 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, recorded the highest urban infant mortality rate in India. Other regions with high mortality rates included Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. On the contrary, Kerala recorded the lowest figures for the category during the same period.

This layer shows State wise Birth rate, Death rate & Infant Mortality rate (2009 & 2019)Source of data: https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/doc/stat/tab82.pdfNote: Andhra Pradesh includes Telangana for the year 2009 and Jammu & Kashmir includes Ladakh for the year 2019, Birth rate & death rate per 1000 population and IMR is infant deaths per 1000 live births.This web layer is offered by Esri India, for ArcGIS Online subscribers. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know via content@esri.in.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Himachal Pradesh: Rural data was reported at 18.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 20.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Himachal Pradesh: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 43.000 NA from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2020, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.000 NA in 1998 and a record low of 18.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Himachal Pradesh: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH005: Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: by States.

In 2020, the infant mortality rate in the state of West Bengal in India was ** deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is measured by the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Maharashtra data was reported at 16.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Maharashtra data is updated yearly, averaging 31.000 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.000 NA in 1998 and a record low of 16.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Maharashtra data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH005: Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: by States.

In 2020, the infant mortality rate in the state of Rajasthan in India was ** deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is measured by the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births.

In 2020, the infant mortality rate in the state of Karnataka in India was about ** deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is measured by the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births.