While the global infant mortality rate has been cut in half since 1990, a stark and urgent inequality persists, with a child in sub-Saharan Africa facing a risk of death in their first year nearly fifteen times higher than a child born in a high-income country.
Key Takeaways
- The global under-five mortality rate, which includes infant mortality, fell by 59% from 93 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 38 in 2021
- In 2022, the worldwide infant mortality rate stood at 27 deaths per 1,000 live births according to WHO estimates
- Globally, an estimated 2.3 million children died in the first month of life in 2022, accounting for 47% of all under-five deaths
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest global infant mortality at 74 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- In South Asia, infant mortality rate was 41 per 1,000 live births in 2021, second highest regionally
- Latin America and Caribbean's infant mortality rate averaged 20 per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Nigeria has the highest national infant mortality rate at 72 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- India reported 25 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, down from 58 in 2000
- Afghanistan's infant mortality stands at 104 per 1,000 live births in 2021, among highest globally
- Preterm birth complications account for 35% of global neonatal deaths, a leading cause of infant mortality
- Intrapartum-related complications cause 22% of neonatal deaths worldwide
- Infections like pneumonia and sepsis contribute to 19% of under-five deaths, including infants
- Globally, infant mortality rate halved from 54 to 27 per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2022
- From 2000 to 2019, annual decline in global under-five mortality accelerated to 3.7%
- Infant mortality in low-income countries fell 50% from 1990 to 2021, from 134 to 67 per 1,000
Infant mortality has fallen significantly but progress has stalled since 2015.
Cause-Specific
- Preterm birth complications account for 35% of global neonatal deaths, a leading cause of infant mortality
- Intrapartum-related complications cause 22% of neonatal deaths worldwide
- Infections like pneumonia and sepsis contribute to 19% of under-five deaths, including infants
- Congenital anomalies cause 11% of neonatal deaths globally
- Diarrhoeal diseases account for 8% of under-five deaths, affecting post-neonatal infants
- Malaria causes 5% of under-five deaths, primarily in African infants
- Low birth weight is a risk factor in 80% of neonatal deaths
- Asphyxia and trauma during birth lead to 660,000 neonatal deaths annually
- Maternal complications contribute to 11% of under-five deaths indirectly via infant mortality
- Poor sanitation increases infant mortality risk by 20% in affected areas
- Inadequate breastfeeding leads to 823,000 under-five deaths yearly, including infants
- Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles cause 50,000 infant deaths annually
- HIV/AIDS accounts for 2% of under-five deaths, impacting infants via vertical transmission
- Injuries cause 5% of under-five deaths after neonatal period
Cause-Specific Interpretation
In a world equipped with medical miracles and simple sanitation, it remains a tragic and galling truth that infants are still most often lost not to mysterious plagues but to the preventable, the treatable, and the fundamental failures of care at birth and beyond.
Country Rates
- Nigeria has the highest national infant mortality rate at 72 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- India reported 25 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, down from 58 in 2000
- Afghanistan's infant mortality stands at 104 per 1,000 live births in 2021, among highest globally
- Pakistan has 56 infant deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2021 estimates
- DR Congo reports 64 infant mortality rate per 1,000 in 2021
- Ethiopia's infant mortality declined to 33 per 1,000 live births in 2022
- United States infant mortality rate was 5.4 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- Japan has one of the lowest at 1.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Brazil's rate is 12 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- South Africa's infant mortality is 25 per 1,000 in 2022
- Russia's rate stands at 5 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- Bangladesh reduced infant mortality to 24 per 1,000 in 2021 from 87 in 1990
- Somalia has 72 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021
- UK infant mortality rate is 3.5 per 1,000 in 2021
- China's rate dropped to 5 per 1,000 live births by 2022
- Mali reports 62 infant mortality per 1,000 in 2021
- Germany has 3.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
Country Rates Interpretation
These numbers paint a stark global ledger where a child's first breath is tragically a game of geographical roulette, with the odds of survival ranging from near certainty to a harrowing coin toss.
Global Rates
- The global under-five mortality rate, which includes infant mortality, fell by 59% from 93 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 38 in 2021
- In 2022, the worldwide infant mortality rate stood at 27 deaths per 1,000 live births according to WHO estimates
- Globally, an estimated 2.3 million children died in the first month of life in 2022, accounting for 47% of all under-five deaths
- The global neonatal mortality rate was 17 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, down from 31 in 1990
- Between 2000 and 2022, global infant mortality declined by 58%, from 65 to 27 per 1,000 live births
- In 2021, 80% of under-five deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia combined, heavily impacting global infant mortality
- Global progress in reducing infant mortality has stalled since 2015, with only a 2.2% annual decline needed but slower rates observed
- The Sustainable Development Goal target for infant mortality is below 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030, but global rate is 27 in 2022
- Globally, preterm birth complications cause 35% of neonatal deaths, contributing to infant mortality
- In 2020, COVID-19 caused disruptions leading to 8.9 million excess under-five deaths globally, affecting infant survival
- Global infant mortality rate for boys was 28 per 1,000 live births in 2021, slightly higher than girls at 26
- From 1990 to 2021, global neonatal mortality dropped 51%, but still 2 million babies die within 28 days annually
- In low-income countries, infant mortality is 67 per 1,000 live births versus 5 in high-income countries globally
- Global average annual reduction in infant mortality was 3.7% from 2000-2021
- 99% of global neonatal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
Global Rates Interpretation
Progress has turned a staggering infant mortality rate into a merely sobering one, but with the pace now faltering and the target still distant, the world's most vulnerable newborns remind us that a victory halved is not a victory won.
Regional Rates
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest global infant mortality at 74 per 1,000 live births in 2021
- In South Asia, infant mortality rate was 41 per 1,000 live births in 2021, second highest regionally
- Latin America and Caribbean's infant mortality rate averaged 20 per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Middle East and North Africa region reported 19 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia had an infant mortality rate of 15 per 1,000 in 2021
- East Asia and Pacific region's infant mortality was 12 per 1,000 live births in 2021, showing strong decline
- In sub-Saharan Africa, neonatal mortality is 27 per 1,000 live births, highest regionally in 2022
- South Asia accounts for 25% of global neonatal deaths despite 23% of births
- Western Europe has one of the lowest regional infant mortality rates at 3.5 per 1,000 in 2021
- In the Americas, North America's infant mortality is 5.4 per 1,000, contrasting with higher rates south
- Central Asia's infant mortality rate declined to 18 per 1,000 live births by 2022 from 50 in 2000
- Oceania region's infant mortality averages 15 per 1,000, with variations between Australia and Pacific islands
- Northern Africa improved infant mortality to 16 per 1,000 in 2021 from 55 in 1990
- Eastern Africa has 43 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, highest sub-regional in 2021
- Southern Asia's infant mortality fell 65% from 1990 to 2021 to 41 per 1,000
Regional Rates Interpretation
The staggering geography of infant survival reveals a world where a child's first breath is still tragically dictated by their birthplace, with some regions celebrating near-universal first birthdays while others face losses at rates over twenty times higher.
Temporal Trends
- Globally, infant mortality rate halved from 54 to 27 per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2022
- From 2000 to 2019, annual decline in global under-five mortality accelerated to 3.7%
- Infant mortality in low-income countries fell 50% from 1990 to 2021, from 134 to 67 per 1,000
- High-income countries achieved under 5 per 1,000 infant mortality by 2000, stable since
- Sub-Saharan Africa's infant mortality declined 42% from 1990 to 2021, but still highest
- Neonatal mortality globally dropped 39% from 2000 to 2022, slower than post-neonatal
- India's infant mortality reduced 68% from 88 in 1990 to 28 in 2021
- Ethiopia saw 72% decline in infant mortality from 1990 to 2022, to 33 per 1,000
- US infant mortality stagnated at 5.6 per 1,000 from 2015-2021
- Bangladesh achieved 75% reduction in infant mortality since 1990 to 24 in 2021
- Global neonatal mortality reduction slowed to 2.1% annually 2015-2021 from 3.1% prior
- From 1990-2021, poorest countries reduced infant mortality by 48%, richest by 72%
- COVID-19 reversed two decades of progress, adding 9.8 million under-five deaths 2020-2021
- Europe's infant mortality halved since 1990 to 4 per 1,000 by 2021
- China's infant mortality plummeted 90% from 54 in 1990 to 5 in 2022
- Nigeria's infant mortality declined 30% from 1990 to 2021, still at 72 per 1,000
- Latin America's infant mortality fell 70% since 1990 to 17 per 1,000 in 2021
- Japan's rate improved from 4.6 in 1990 to 1.7 in 2022
- Global progress must accelerate 4x to meet SDG infant mortality target by 2030
- Post-2015, infant mortality decline slowed to 2.4% annually globally
- Sub-Saharan Africa reduced under-five mortality 60% from 1990 to 2021
Temporal Trends Interpretation
We've cut infant deaths in half since 1990, proving we can win, but the sobering truth is we're currently losing the final sprint against preventable mortality as progress has dangerously slowed.
Sources & References
- Reference 1DATAdata.unicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 2WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 3OURWORLDINDATAourworldindata.orgVisit source
- Reference 4UNICEFunicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 5SDGSsdgs.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 6THELANCETthelancet.comVisit source
- Reference 7DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 8ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 9CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 10ONSons.gov.ukVisit source