Table 1.

Child mortality (NMR, IMR, U-5MR) and stunting rates for urban and rural areas and rate differences between urban and rural levels

Child mortality indicators and stunting	Geographical area	DHS and MICS reports
		MDHS 1992	MDHS 2000	MDHS 2004	MICS 2006	MDHS 2010	MICS 2014	MDHS 2015/2016
Neonatal mortality rate	Urban	50.9	29.8	22	30	31	31	26
	Rural	48.6	47.9	39	34	34	29	27
	RD	− 2.3	18.1	17	4	3	− 2	1
Infant mortality rate	Urban	118.1	82.5	60	70	73	61	44
	Rural	138	116.7	98	73	73	52	47
	RD	19.9	34.2	38	3	0	− 9	3
Under-5 mortality rate	Urban	205.4	147.9	116	113	113	80	60
	Rural	243.9	210.4	164	123	130	86	77
	RD	38.5	62.5	48	10	17	6	17
Stunting (%)	Urban	35	34.2	37.8	37.5	40.7	36.2	25
	Rural	50.3	51.2	49.2	47.5	48.2	43.2	38.9
	RD	15.3	17	11.4	10	7.5	7	13.9

Rate differences were calculated by subtracting urban values from rural values. This arrangement reflected the expected direction of health advantage

RD rate difference