India’s 2024 Sample Registration Survey में जन्म दर, मृत्यु दर और IMR में गिरावट दिखती है – ग्रामीण‑शहरी अंतर बना रहता है

Key Insight

India’s falling birth and death rates signal a demographic shift, but rural‑urban health gaps demand focused policy.

Key Facts

1. India's birth rate fell from 21 per 1,000 (2014) to 18.3 per 1,000 (2024).
2. Death rate slipped from 6.7 per 1,000 (2014) to 6.4 per 1,000 (2024).
3. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) dropped from 39 (2014) to 24 per 1,000 live births (2024).
4. Urban birth rate fell to 14.7, rural to 20.2; urban IMR is 17, rural IMR is 27 (2024).
5. Kerala leads with Natural Growth Rate 3.9% and IMR 8; Tamil Nadu (NGR 4.8%, IMR 11) and Goa (NGR 4.2%, IMR 11) follow.
6. National Health Policy aims for a single‑digit IMR, still far from most states.
7. Sample Registration Survey (SRS) is the key source of vital statistics for planning.

Background

The SRS data shows India moving into the later stages of demographic transition – lower births, lower deaths and falling infant mortality. This shift affects health planning, labour supply and fiscal pressures, and highlights persistent rural‑urban gaps that policymakers must address.

UPSC Syllabus

• GS1 — Population and Associated Issues
• Prelims_GS — Demographics and Social Sector
• Prelims_GS — Physical Geography of India

Mains Angle

In Mains, this can be tackled in GS‑3 (Demography & Health) by analysing the implications of a declining birth rate and rising ageing population, and by evaluating policy measures to bridge rural‑urban health disparities.