India records highest number of babies born on Jan 1 globally

New Delhi:India tops the list recording highest number of babies born globally on the New Year's Day, UNICEF has said.

An UNICEF statement says as many as 67,385 children were born in India and China and Pakistan were not far off on the ladder.In China, 46,299 infants were born followed by Nigeria - 26,039, Pakistan - 16,787 and Indonesia - 13,020.

The United States of America finished six in the ranking with 10,452 children born on the first day of the New Year and new decade.

''The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us,'' said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. 

''As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his life's journey-if they are just given that chance," Ms Fore said. 

The UNICEF statement also said that in 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life; about a third of them on the first day of life. 

Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year.

"Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half. But there has been slower progress for newborns". 

Babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990, it said.Fiji in the Pacific will most likely deliver 2020's first baby. The United States, its last. 

An estimated 392,078 babies were born around the world on the New Year's Day and globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries - India - 67,385, China - 46,299, Nigeria - 26,039, Pakistan - 16,787, Indonesia - 13,020, USA - 10,452, Democratic Republic of Congo - 10,247 and Ethiopia - 8,493.(UNI)