Bangalore: The health indicators from the data provided by the National Rural Health Mission showed improved health conditions in South Indian states when compared to the Northern states.Karnataka and Kerala were seen with a birth rate of 19.2 and 14.8, death rate of 7.1 and 7.0 and infant mortality rate of 38 and 13 respectively.

The health indicators are noted to have improved in Jammu and Kashmir in comparison to the national average as per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin, December 2011. The estimated birth rate of the state was recorded to be 18.3, death rate of 5.7 and infant mortality rate of 43 (per 1000) when compared to the national average of 22.1, 7.2 and 47. Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal were the other states that fared well on the health indicators in the bigger states category. Delhi was noted to have a birth rate of 17.8, death rate of 4.2 and infant mortality rate of 30 while Gujarat had a birth rate of 21.8, death rate of 6.7 and infant mortality rate of 44. Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal had a birth rate of 17.1, 16.6 and 16.8, death rate of 6.5, 7.0 and 6.0 and an infant mortality rate of 28, 34 and 31 respectively.

It is to be noted that Crude Death Rate measures the rate of deaths for every one thousand people in a given population, while Crude Birth Rate measures the rate of births for every one thousand people in a given population.