Infant mortality rate
Also called: IMR · Topic: Population of India: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of babies who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 babies born alive in a year. It is one of the best signs of a region's health care, nutrition and mothers' education. A low IMR also helps lower the birth rate, because parents feel less need to have many children. In India, the Sample Registration System gives yearly IMR figures.
Example
India's IMR fell from 129 in 1971 to 25 in 2023. Kerala, on the south-western coast, has the lowest IMR (5). Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have the highest (verify current).
Don't confuse with
- Maternal mortality ratio (MMR): this counts mothers who die from pregnancy or childbirth, per 1,00,000 live births. IMR counts babies who die before age one, per 1,000 live births.
Related concepts
- Regional variation in population growth
- North-south fertility divide
- National Population Policy 2000
- Maternal mortality ratio