CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Economics: DevelopmentWhat is Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)? Explain why it is considered a crucial indicator of a country's overall level of development.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is defined as the number of children that die before the age of one year as a proportion of 1,000 live children born in that particular year. It is considered a crucial and sensitive indicator of a country's overall level of development because it reflects the efficiency, accessibility, and quality of healthcare infrastructure, maternal health, and socio-economic well-being of a nation. A high infant mortality rate points towards widespread poverty, lack of basic medical facilities, malnutrition among pregnant mothers, absence of proper immunization programs, and poor sanitation. Conversely, a low IMR indicates that a country has invested heavily in public health services, ensuring safe child delivery, adequate nutrition, and accessible pediatric care. Therefore, along with income, looking at vital statistics like IMR provides a much truer picture of human development, showing whether the fruits of economic growth are actually reaching the most vulnerable sections of the population, specifically infants and mothers.