Kerala's Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has fallen to a record low of 5 deaths per 1,000 live births, the lowest among India's large states and lower than the United States, according to the government's Sample Registration System report for 2023. The figure places Kerala well ahead of the national average of 25 and below the U.S. rate of 5.6 recorded in 2022.
The small state of Manipur has the lowest IMR at 3, with the Union Territory of Ladakh coming next with 4 deaths per 1,000 live births. The estimates presented for Manipur are based on 130 sample units.
The report, published on September 3, is a large-scale demographic survey that provides reliable annual estimates of the Infant mortality rate, birth rate, death rate, and other fertility & mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.
India overall has made progress, reducing infant mortality from 40 in 2013 and 129 in 1971 to its current low of 25. Still, states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh report rates as high as 37, underscoring continuing disparities.
The national estimates for 2023 are 18.4 births per thousand population for the Birth Rate, 6.4 deaths per thousand population for the Death Rate, and an Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 25 infant deaths per thousand live births. These national figures reflect a significant decline over the past five decades, indicating progress in health and population management
In 2023, Chhattisgarh recorded the highest Death Rate of 8.3, whereas the lowest Death Rate was recorded in Chandigarh at 4.0.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George credited the state's achievement to investments in maternal and child health programs, quality improvements in hospitals, and community-based interventions. Sixteen hospitals in Kerala have received national quality certification, and six more were recognised under the Muskaan initiative, which promotes safe childbirth and newborn care.
George said Kerala's results bring the state's neonatal mortality rate down to below 4, a level seen in developed nations. According to the report, despite the decline in IMR over the last decades, one in every 40 infants dies within the first year of their life at the National level (irrespective of rural or urban).
Andaman & Nicobar Islands recorded the lowest Birth Rate at 10.1 births per thousand population. The Birth Rate, a crude measure of fertility and a key determinant of population growth, has seen a drastic decline nationally over the last five decades.