Haryana has matched the national average for Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), recording 24 deaths per 1,000 live births as per the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2024, while also registering a faster pace of improvement than neighbouring Punjab.
Dr Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, said official data shows Haryana reduced its IMR from 28 to 24 over the past five years, marking a 14% decline. In comparison, Punjab’s IMR dropped from 18 to 16, an 11% reduction during the same period.
This performance places Haryana on par with the national average and highlights steady improvement in maternal and child health indicators despite the state’s larger population and greater service delivery challenges.
Dr Misra said the gains reflect sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure and focused interventions in maternal and neonatal care. Haryana has consistently improved key health indicators through expanded institutional deliveries, strengthened newborn care, and community-based healthcare outreach.
The report shows Haryana’s overall birth rate stood at 18.5 per 1,000 population against 18.7 in 2023, marginally higher than the national average of 18.3. However, the state’s rural birth rate of 19.7 was lower than the national rural average of 20.2 and last year’s 20 for Haryana, indicating better fertility control in villages. In contrast, the urban birth rate was significantly higher at 16.6 compared to India’s urban average of 14.7. The previous year’s state figure was 16.8.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Punjab continued to record lower fertility levels than Haryana, with its birth rate of 12.9 remaining among the lowest in north India.
Haryana’s IMR of 24 compares favourably with several large states where infant mortality remains higher. States such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh report IMRs of around 35, while Chhattisgarh stands at approximately 36 per 1,000 live births. This underlines Haryana’s relatively stronger performance among populous states.
Over a longer time-frame, Haryana has made substantial progress, reducing its IMR from 41 to 24 per 1,000 live births over the past decade, signalling sustained improvements in public health services and access to care.
Officials attribute the decline to targeted interventions aimed at improving newborn and maternal healthcare infrastructure. These include expansion of Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and Newborn Stabilisation Units (NBSUs), establishment of Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) and Newborn Baby Care Corners (NBCCs), promotion of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) and Lactation Management facilities, and implementation of schemes such as Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram and Home-Based Newborn Care services.
These initiatives have contributed to improved neonatal survival rates and better management of high-risk cases.
To further accelerate progress, the state plans to expand healthcare facilities, including additional SNCUs, NBSUs, NRCs and Lactation Management Units. Existing facilities are also being upgraded into Maternal and Newborn Care Units (MNCUs) to provide integrated services at one facility.
While challenges persist in certain rural pockets and parts of eastern Haryana, officials maintain that the overall trajectory remains positive. The government is focusing on strengthening antenatal care, ensuring safe deliveries, and upgrading neonatal intensive care infrastructure across public health institutions.
