Kerala fares better than US on various social indicators: CM Vijayan

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday claimed that the state fares much better than the United States of America on various social indicators, like maternal and infant mortality rates, and termed it as "the real Kerala story".

Vijayan, speaking after announcing the eradication of extreme poverty from the state at a public event here, said that it was a fact that Kerala's infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are lower than those in the US.

"This is no small achievement. How did our state, with a GDP of just $ 167.90 billion, surpass the economic giant with a GDP of $ 30.51 trillion? We only have 0.55 percent of their GDP. Yet we managed to surpass America. This is the 'real Kerala story'," he said.

Vijayan said that 22.3 mothers lose their lives per 100,000 births in the United States, while in Kerala it is 18.

"In Kerala, there are five infant deaths per thousand births. In the United States, it is 5.6. While Kerala is far ahead with a literacy rate of 96.2 per cent, the literacy rate in the United States is only 79 per cent.

"While multidimensional poverty has been almost eradicated in Kerala (0.55 per cent), it is 5.68 per cent in the United States," he contended.

The CM said that all this proves that the true measure of a nation was not its accumulated wealth, but the care and priority it gives to its people.

He said that the main goal of the 'Nava Kerala' project is to raise the standard of living in the state to that of developed countries.

"Now I can say with complete confidence that that goal is not far off," he added.

Vijayan said that Kerala stands as a miracle when compared to other states in the country.

While the maternal mortality rate in Uttar Pradesh stands at 141, in Kerala it is only 18 and according to the Niti Aayog, the southern state has the lowest poverty rate in the country.

Kerala also ranks first in the country in sustainable development, health and education according to the Niti Aayog, he said and added that "development was not only about skyscrapers, but also about human happiness".

"We are not only solving today's problems, we are also building a knowledge economy for tomorrow's generation," he emphasised.