Health in West Bengal, India: official figures
Life expectancy at birth in West Bengal was 72.5 years in 2019-23 (71.1 for men, 74.0 for women), against 70.3 for India; 7th longest of 22 with figures.
What is the infant mortality rate in West Bengal?
17 babies in every 1,000 born alive in West Bengal died before their first birthday in 2023 (Sample Registration System; India: 25), down from 31 in 2013; joint 16th highest of 35.
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow many mothers die in childbirth in West Bengal?
104 mothers died for every 100,000 live births in West Bengal in 2021-23 (maternal mortality ratio; India: 88).
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow many children in West Bengal are anaemic?
69.0% of young children (6 to 59 months) in West Bengal were anaemic in 2019-21 (National Family Health Survey 5), up from 54.2% in 2015-16; all-India: 67.1%; 12th highest of 36.
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow many pregnant women in West Bengal are anaemic?
62.3% of pregnant women in West Bengal were anaemic in 2019-21 (all-India: 52.2%), which raises the risk of low birth weight and of death in childbirth.
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow many hospital beds does West Bengal have?
West Bengal had 1,510 government hospitals with 97,000 beds at the end of 2022, about 0.98 beds per 1,000 people (all-India: 0.61; 18th most of 36). Private hospitals are not counted.
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyAre there enough doctors in rural West Bengal?
In March 2023, 1,247 doctors were working at West Bengal's rural primary health centres, against 1,405 sanctioned posts (158 vacant) and 910 needed by national norms (Rural Health Statistics).
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow many specialist doctors work in rural West Bengal?
Rural community health centres in West Bengal had 74 of the 1,388 specialists they need (surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, physicians and paediatricians) in March 2023, 5% of the requirement (all-India: 20%).
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow much does West Bengal spend on health?
Public spending on health in West Bengal was ₹11,093 crore in 2019-20, about ₹1,142 per resident; 4th lowest of 31 with figures.
Source: Reserve Bank of India · saved copyHow West Bengal compares with other states
Infant deaths per 1,000 live births (2023)
West Bengal ranks 16 of 35, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Infant deaths per 1,000 live births |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Arunachal Pradesh | 20 |
| 14 | Andhra Pradesh | 19 |
| 15 | Telangana | 18 |
| 16 | West Bengal | 17 |
| 17 | Punjab | 17 |
| 18 | Tripura | 15 |
| 19 | Maharashtra | 14 |
Life expectancy at birth (2019-23)
West Bengal ranks 7 of 22, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Life expectancy at birth |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Delhi | 74.2 years |
| 5 | Tamil Nadu | 73.4 years |
| 6 | Maharashtra | 72.8 years |
| 7 | West Bengal | 72.5 years |
| 8 | Uttarakhand | 71.3 years |
| 9 | Punjab | 70.8 years |
| 10 | Telangana | 70.8 years |
Government hospital beds per 1,000 people (2022)
West Bengal ranks 18 of 36, highest first. Beds on 31 December 2022 divided by the official projected population for 2022.
| Rank | Region | Government hospital beds per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Kerala | 1.08 |
| 16 | Karnataka | 1.06 |
| 17 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1.03 |
| 18 | West Bengal | 0.98 |
| 19 | Telangana | 0.90 |
| 20 | Nagaland | 0.85 |
| 21 | Manipur | 0.77 |
Children aged 6-59 months who are anaemic (2019-21)
West Bengal ranks 12 of 36, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 6-59 months who are anaemic |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Telangana | 70.0% |
| 10 | Bihar | 69.4% |
| 11 | Delhi | 69.2% |
| 12 | West Bengal | 69.0% |
| 13 | Maharashtra | 68.9% |
| 14 | Assam | 68.4% |
| 15 | Jharkhand | 67.4% |
More on West Bengal: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · India
Sources
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 14: State-wise Children Aged 6-59 Months who are Anaemic, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 88b94ba8796f…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 15: State-wise Pregnant Women Aged 15-49 Years who are Anaemic, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 10416e5dd5f9…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 16: State-wise Health Infrastructure - Doctors and Specialists (Rural Health Statistics, 31 March 2023), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2e055836b4d9…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 18: State-wise Public Expenditure on Health, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 264dafcd814a…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 17: State-wise Number of Government Hospitals and Beds, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 86c53d763e42…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 4: State-wise Infant Mortality Rate, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7f5e2e5b7d62…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 7: State-wise Life Expectancy, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2d87cfcb6759…)
- Reserve Bank of India: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 5: State-wise Maternal Mortality Ratio, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 43c67ae2dca5…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.