The infant mortality rate (IMR) refers to:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → the number of deaths of infants before reaching the age of one, in a particular year, per 1,000 live births during that year.
The infant mortality rate counts deaths of infants before age one in a year. It is measured per 1,000 live births of that year, not per 1,000 people.
The yearly number of deaths per 1,000 people is the mortality rate, which is option (2).
NCERT (2026-27): 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.” Glossary: “Mortality rate – The word ‘mortality’ comes from ‘mortal’ which originates from the Latin word mors (meaning death). It is the annual number of deaths (from a disease or in general) per 1,000 people. It is distinct from morbidity rate, which refers to the number of people who have a disease compared to the total number of people in a population.” |