Telangana Cuts Infant Deaths To 17 Out Of 1000
Gender differences were also noted. In rural Telangana, female IMR was 20 compared to 18 among males. In urban areas, male IMR was 16, while female IMR was lower at 12.
Hyderabad:Telangana has reduced its Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 17 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, staying well ahead of the national average of 24 and continuing a decade‑long improvement in infant survival, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) report. The state has remained below the national average every year since 2014.
Telangana’s IMR stood at 35 in 2014 against India’s 39. By 2024, it dropped to 17, compared to the national decline to 24. This marks an 18‑point reduction in Telangana over 10 years, against a 15‑point fall nationally.
The state also outperformed several large states. Chhattisgarh recorded the highest IMR among bigger states at 36, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 35. Assam reported 29, while Rajasthan and Odisha stood at 28 each. Kerala remained the best‑performing large state with an IMR of 8, followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu at 11.
Within Telangana, urban areas fared better than rural regions. Rural IMR stood at 19, while urban areas recorded 14. Nationally, the rural‑urban gap was sharper, with rural India at 27 against 17 in urban India.
Gender differences were also noted. In rural Telangana, female IMR was 20 compared to 18 among males. In urban areas, male IMR was 16, while female IMR was lower at 12.
Other demographic indicators pointed to Telangana’s shift into a low‑fertility phase. The state’s birth rate stood at 15.7 per 1,000 population, below the national average of 18.3. Its total fertility rate was estimated at 1.5, below the replacement level of 2.1 and lower than the national average of 1.9. Telangana’s death rate was 6.5 against India’s 6.4, while its natural growth rate stood at 9.1 compared to 11.9 nationally. Estimates were derived from 224 sample units covering about 2.4 lakh people across rural and urban areas.