Meghalaya stands at second after Assam with the highest infant mortality rate (IMR), as per the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin.
Among the Northeastern states, Assam has the highest infant mortality rate of 36, followed by Meghalaya at 29 and Arunachal Pradesh at 21.
The bulletin released by the office of the Office of the Registrar General of India, Mizoram has the lowest IMR in the country with three deaths per thousand live births. Nagaland with an IMR of four secured second place, followed by Sikkim and Goa having an IMR of five each.
While the national average was 28, Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR in the country at 43, it said.
IMR is defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per thousand live births in a given time period and for a given region. The SRS taken up by the Office of the Registrar General of India is a large-scale demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth rate, death rate, and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and regional level. (With inputs from agencies)
