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.

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

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.

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.

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

India: Infant deaths per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 26 deaths per 1000 live births, a decline from 27 deaths per 1000 live births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 19 deaths per 1000 live births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1967 to 2022 is 80 deaths per 1000 live births. The minimum value, 26 deaths per 1000 live births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 143 deaths per 1000 live births was recorded in 1967.

Forecast: Total Infant Mortality Rates in India 2024 - 2028 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.

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

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.

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.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Mizoram data was reported at 3.000 NA in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Mizoram data is updated yearly, averaging 23.000 NA from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2020, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.000 NA in 2010 and a record low of 3.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Mizoram 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 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.

Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Uttar Pradesh data was reported at 38.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 41.000 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Uttar Pradesh data is updated yearly, averaging 63.000 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.000 NA in 1998 and a record low of 38.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Infant Mortality Rate: per 1000 Live Births: Uttar Pradesh 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.

This dataset contains the Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) across various years, states, genders such as male and female, and regions such as urban and rural. Data for some smaller states prior to 2004 is not available due to inadequacy of samples. For some states like Kerala and Delhi, there are instances when no deaths were reported. This has been highlighted in the notes column.

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.

Forecast: Infant Mortality in India 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) in India was reported at 24.7 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

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

Number of infant deaths in India was reported at 567211 deaths in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Number of infant deaths - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.