An infant born in Telangana in 2024 had a significantly better chance of surviving first year than the average child born in India. The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin released by the Office of the Registrar General of India placed Telangana’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at 17 (infant deaths per 1,000 live births), well below the national average of 24.

The latest figures also showed Telangana continuing a trend it has maintained since the State’s formation in 2014, consistently recording lower infant mortality than the national average. A decade ago, in 2014 Telangana’s IMR stood at 35 against India’s 39. Ten years later, India’s IMR has fallen to 24, but Telangana has reduced it even further to 17.

Most important indicator

The SRS Bulletin described Infant Mortality Rate as one of the most important indicators of the overall health status of a region, measuring the number of infant deaths below one year of age for every 1,000 live births.

Telangana’s rural-urban divide

The Telangana data also revealed a continuing rural-urban divide in infant survival. While the State’s overall IMR stood at 17, rural Telangana recorded a higher IMR of 19 compared to 14 in urban areas. Nationally, the gap was wider, with rural India reporting an IMR of 27 against 17 in urban India.

IMR across States

Compared to several major States, Telangana’s performance remained relatively stronger. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh both recorded IMRs of 35, while Chhattisgarh reported the highest IMR among larger States at 36. Odisha and Rajasthan recorded IMRs of 28 each, while Assam stood at 29. Kerala remained the best-performing large State in the country with an IMR of 8, followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu at 11 each.

The bulletin also provided gender-wise infant mortality figures. Overall, Telangana recorded an IMR of 17 for both male and female infants. In rural areas, female infant mortality was slightly higher at 20 compared to 18 among male infants. In urban Telangana, the trend reversed, with male IMR standing at 16 and female IMR lower at 12.

Telangana’s 15.7 Birth Rate lower than national average

Beyond infant mortality, the bulletin pointed to broader demographic changes in Telangana. The State recorded a Birth Rate of 15.7 per 1,000 population, lower than the national average of 18.3. Telangana’s Death Rate stood at 6.5, marginally higher than the national average of 6.4. The State’s Natural Growth Rate, calculated as the difference between Birth Rate and Death Rate, stood at 9.1 compared to the national average of 11.9.

The bulletin further showed that Telangana’s estimates were derived from 224 sample units covering an estimated population of 2.4 lakh people across rural and urban areas.