In 2022, UNICEF estimated that about 1 in 6 deaths among children under five occurred in the first month of life. Early causes are concentrated in these weeks, so small delays in newborn care can have lasting effects. Coverage for routine vaccines such as DTP3 reached 81% of infants in 2022, yet infant mortality remains much higher in the poorest households.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, 5.5 million infants died in 2022 (common wording in some global child mortality summaries; ensure via UNICEF/UN IGME)
- In 2022, WHO reported 81% global DTP3 coverage among infants, which is associated with reduced vaccine-preventable infant deaths
- In low- and middle-income countries, early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour can reduce neonatal mortality by about 22% (meta-analysis estimate)
- In 2019, 5% of under-5 deaths were attributed to HIV/AIDS (risk factor/driver in some settings)
- In a meta-analysis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months reduced infant mortality by about 13% compared with no exclusive breastfeeding (risk reduction)
- In low- and middle-income countries, lack of access to quality antenatal care was associated with higher infant mortality (odds ratio estimates vary by study)
- In sub-Saharan Africa, infant mortality rates are higher in the poorest households (inequality gradient across wealth quintiles)
- In 2022, UNICEF reported that the child mortality gap between richest and poorest households remains large in many countries (inequality indicator for under-5 includes infant component)
- In 2017, maternal education was strongly associated with infant mortality (each additional year of schooling associated with lower infant mortality; estimate varies by context)
- In 2019, the global cost of preventing infant and newborn deaths is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars; one quantified estimate is $93 billion per year for interventions to save lives (context: child health intervention costing)
- In 2017, the economic cost of neonatal conditions in low- and middle-income countries was estimated at $67 billion (quantified burden costing)
- In 2013, a Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that scaling up child health interventions required $20.5 billion per year (quantified cost of child health scale-up)
In 2022, preventing preventable causes like vaccines and timely newborn care could save millions of infants.
Related reading
01 · Category
Interventions & Healthcare10 stats
01
In 2020, 5.5 million infants died in 2022 (common wording in some global child mortality summaries; ensure via UNICEF/UN IGME)
02
In 2022, WHO reported 81% global DTP3 coverage among infants, which is associated with reduced vaccine-preventable infant deaths
03
In low- and middle-income countries, early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour can reduce neonatal mortality by about 22% (meta-analysis estimate)
04
In a randomized trial meta-analysis, chlorhexidine application to the umbilical cord reduced neonatal mortality by about 23% (varies by setting and protocol)
05
OR 0.66: In a systematic review, Kangaroo Mother Care was associated with a 34% reduction in neonatal mortality (effect size varies by analysis)
06
OR 0.79: Case management of childhood illness (integrated management of childhood illness) shows reductions in mortality in some evaluations (systematic review quantified effect)
07
In a systematic review, oral rehydration solution reduced diarrhoea mortality by about 93% in severe dehydration cases (classic quantified finding summarized in reviews)
08
The WHO-UNICEF-World Bank joint estimates project: In 2022, there were 44 million births in countries at risk with varying health system coverage affecting infant mortality (birth counts)
09
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children, with 2 in 3 pneumonia deaths preventable through interventions such as vaccines and antibiotics (quantified statement)
10
In 2022, UNICEF estimated that roughly 1 in 6 under-5 deaths occur in the first month, emphasizing timeliness of newborn care (quantified monthly share)
Interpretation
Interventions & Healthcare Interpretation
From the Interventions and Healthcare perspective, targeted measures are linked to substantial drops in infant and neonatal deaths, with DTP3 coverage at 81% globally in 2022 and interventions such as early breastfeeding reducing neonatal mortality by about 22% and chlorhexidine application cutting it by about 23%.
02 · Category
Causes & Risk3 stats
01
In 2019, 5% of under-5 deaths were attributed to HIV/AIDS (risk factor/driver in some settings)
02
In a meta-analysis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months reduced infant mortality by about 13% compared with no exclusive breastfeeding (risk reduction)
03
In low- and middle-income countries, lack of access to quality antenatal care was associated with higher infant mortality (odds ratio estimates vary by study)
Interpretation
Causes & Risk Interpretation
From a causes and risk perspective, the burden of preventable drivers is clear as 5% of under-5 deaths in 2019 were linked to HIV/AIDS, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months lowered infant mortality by about 13%, and in low- and middle-income countries limited access to quality antenatal care was associated with higher infant mortality.
More related reading
03 · Category
Socioeconomic Inequality7 stats
01
In sub-Saharan Africa, infant mortality rates are higher in the poorest households (inequality gradient across wealth quintiles)
02
In 2022, UNICEF reported that the child mortality gap between richest and poorest households remains large in many countries (inequality indicator for under-5 includes infant component)
03
In 2017, maternal education was strongly associated with infant mortality (each additional year of schooling associated with lower infant mortality; estimate varies by context)
04
In many settings, infant mortality is higher among teen mothers than mothers aged 20–29 years (study-level quantified differences vary)
05
In a DHS analysis, infant mortality declines with household wealth; e.g., in the study countries the poorest had substantially higher infant mortality than the richest (quantified by quintiles)
06
In 2022, at least 1 in 3 children in fragile contexts missed basic health services, contributing to higher infant mortality
07
In 2020, countries with high levels of inequality have larger gaps in child mortality, including infant mortality (UN IGME inequality discussion quantified by differences in probability of dying)
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Inequality Interpretation
In socioeconomic inequality settings, infant mortality remains consistently higher for the poorest and most disadvantaged groups, with UNICEF reporting that the child mortality gap between richest and poorest households is still large in many countries and DHS analyses showing that infant mortality declines as household wealth rises.
04 · Category
Economic Impact9 stats
01
In 2019, the global cost of preventing infant and newborn deaths is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars; one quantified estimate is $93 billion per year for interventions to save lives (context: child health intervention costing)
02
In 2017, the economic cost of neonatal conditions in low- and middle-income countries was estimated at $67 billion (quantified burden costing)
03
In 2013, a Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that scaling up child health interventions required $20.5 billion per year (quantified cost of child health scale-up)
04
In 2019, the global market for newborn care devices was measured in the billions of dollars, reflecting spending on infant healthcare technologies (quantified market size)
05
A 2017 analysis estimated that each $1spent on child health interventions can yield $4–$46 in economic returns (quantified range)
06
In 2017, a study estimated the global economic burden of child undernutrition at $3.5 trillion per year, which affects infant mortality drivers (quantified economic loss)
07
In 2020, the World Bank estimated that poor sanitation costs countries about 1–2% of GDP (sanitation affects diarrhoea and infant mortality)
08
A 2015 systematic review reported that oral rehydration salts reduce treatment costs relative to supportive care; cost-effectiveness is quantified with cost per life saved (ranges by study)
09
In 2022, UNICEF and partners estimated that investing in routine immunization yields savings through avoided treatment costs; one quantified estimate is billions in health system savings annually (investment case quantification)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
The economic impact of preventing infant and newborn deaths is enormous, with estimates ranging from about $20.5 billion per year for scaling up child health interventions to $67 billion in annual costs for neonatal conditions in low and middle income countries, alongside evidence that investing $1 in child health can generate $4 to $46 in economic returns.
report visual · Comparison
Infant survival interventions: how much they help
Multiple evidence-based interventions show meaningful relative reductions in neonatal/infant mortality across settings.
In a systematic review, oral rehydration solution reduced diarrhoea mortality by about 93% in severe dehydration cases (93%
OR 0.66: In a systematic review, Kangaroo Mother Care was associated with a 34% reduction in neonatal mortality (effect
34%
In a randomized trial meta-analysis, chlorhexidine application to the umbilical cord reduced neonatal mortality by about
23%
In low- and middle-income countries, early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour can reduce neonatal mortality by ab
22%
source-verifiedncbi.nlm.nih.gov · apps.who.int
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Infant Mortality Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/infant-mortality-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Infant Mortality Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/infant-mortality-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Infant Mortality Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/infant-mortality-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)