During the colonial period, the infant mortality rate of India was about 218 per thousand. In a district of that time, 10,000 babies were born alive in a year. If the district had the same infant mortality rate as India, about how many of these babies died before reaching the age of one?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → About 2,180
Given:
Infant mortality rate = 218 per 1,000 live births
Live births in the district = 10,000
The infant mortality rate is the number of infants who die before reaching the age of one, per 1,000 live births.
Number of 1,000s in 10,000 = 10,000 ÷ 1,000 = 10
Infant deaths = 218 × 10 = about 2,180
About 7,820 is the number of babies who survived to age one (10,000 − 2,180), not the number who died.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.6 Demographic Condition … Public health facilities were either unavailable to large chunks of population or, when available, were highly inadequate. Consequently, water and air-borne diseases were rampant and took a huge toll on life. No wonder, the overall mortality rate was very high and in that, particularly, the infant mortality rate was quite alarming—about 218 per thousand in contrast to the present infant mortality rate of 28 per thousand. …” Glossary: “Infant Mortality Rate – It is the number of deaths of infants before reaching the age of one, in a particular year, per 1,000 live births during that year.” |