Bengaluru: After a decade of consistently reducing its infant mortality rate (IMR), Karnataka in 2024 saw a slight increase, according to the sample registration system (SRS) report released recently by the Registrar General of India.IMR is defined as the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a year and in a region. Between 2013 and 2023, Karnataka’s IMR reduced by 55%, reaching 14 in 2023. However, in 2024, it increased marginally to 15. Despite the rise, the state continues to remain significantly below the national average IMR of 24 and among the better-performing states in the country.The state health department officials said the slight variation should not be mistaken for a reversal of the broader declining trend. “When the standard of care improves and mortality rates start nearing single digits, such variations are expected. They are not indicators of a change in the overall trend,” Dr Basavaraj B Dhabadi, deputy director (child health), said.Adding that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for the increase reflected in the SRS report, he said, “We will continue with our developmental plans, including a comprehensive strategy for every district. We will also continue our awareness activities.”The SRS data also highlights a persistent rural-urban divide in infant mortality. While urban Karnataka recorded an IMR of 11 in 2024, the figure stood at 17 in rural areas.The report also indicates that Karnataka is steadily moving towards a low-growth demographic phase, with the state’s birth rate remaining below the national average for the third consecutive year. In comparison, India’s birth rate stood significantly higher at 18.3 in 2024. The trend brings Karnataka closer to other southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have among the country’s lowest fertility rates.The decline has been sharper in urban Karnataka. The urban birth rate fell from 14.5 in 2022 to 13.7 in 2024, while rural areas also recorded a decline from 16.8 to 15.9 during the same period. Health officials attribute the trend largely to changing lifestyles, delayed marriages and smaller family preferences, particularly in urban areas.At the same time, Karnataka’s death rate remains above the national average. The state recorded a death rate of 7 in 2024 against the national figure of 6.4. Karnataka’s natural growth rate — calculated as the difference between birth and death rates — has also steadily declined from 8.4 in 2022 to 7.9 in 2024.Dr N Rajkumar, deputy director (maternal health), said while the state’s birth rate has consistently declined largely due to personal choices and changing lifestyles, fluctuations in the death rate and natural growth rate may partly be linked to post-Covid registration patterns. “During the Covid years, deaths were higher while birth rates remained low. In 2024, the death rate may have gone up slightly because some deaths that occurred earlier could have been registered later,” he said.
