The overall infant mortality rate (IMR) in the country has come down to 44 in 2011 as against 47 in 2010.

According to latest figures released by the Registrar General of India, the infant death count per 1000 live births for rural areas dropped by three points from 51 to 48 while in urban areas it decreased to 29 from the previous year's figure of 31.

An official release said, Goa and Manipur recorded the lowest IMR of 11 infant deaths followed by Kerala with 12 infant deaths per 1000 live births.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 59 per 1000 followed by UP and Odisha with 57 each. The IMRs in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Meghalaya stood over the national average of 44.