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.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for India (SPDYNIMRTININD) from 1960 to 2023 about mortality, infant, India, and rate.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) in India was reported at 24.2 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

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

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

Female child mortality rate of India declined by 4.79% from 29.2 deaths per thousand live births in 2022 to 27.8 deaths per thousand live births in 2023. Since the 5.90% slump in 2013, female child mortality rate plummeted by 45.49% in 2023. Child mortality rate is the probability of dying between the exact ages of one and five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates. The probability is expressed as a rate per 1,000.

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.

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.

This layer shows Infant Mortality Rates (per 1000 livebirths) across states and UTs of IndiaSource of data: https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/doc/stat/tab813.pdfNote: In NFHS-5, Jammu & Kashmir is Union Territory excluding Ladakh (UT) 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.

Mortality Rate in India - values for males and females, child and infant mortality, and comparison with global peers.