Independent rankings built from public data — every figure traceable to the body that published it.
UN IGME · Under-Five Mortality Rate
How many children die before their fifth birthday?
Of the 200 countries compared in 2024, San Marino had the lowest reading, 1.260, and Nigeria had the highest reading, 115.649. In the middle country the figure was 14.539. Among the 81 countries measured in every edition since 1952, the middle one moved from 141.050 to 12.905.
Under-five mortality rate · 2024
Key statistic · Health & Wellbeing
Lowest of 200San Marino
1.260012024 · position · derived
The three countries at the lowest end of 200 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Matl derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
3Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
Libya9.765
Japan2.434
San Marino1.260
Australia3.607
02Every measured country
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a lower value — the better end.
3.711
the middle country, of 43 measured · 49 members
San Marino1.260
Moldova16.460
Lowest and highest reading in Europe.
12.884
the middle country, of 39 measured · 48 members
Turks and Caicos Islands4.653
Haiti52.753
Lowest and highest reading in Americas.
13.385
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
Japan2.434
Pakistan55.959
Lowest and highest reading in Asia.
19.594
the middle country, of 16 measured · 21 members
Australia3.607
Kiribati53.094
Lowest and highest reading in Oceania.
48.538
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Libya9.765
Nigeria115.649
Lowest and highest reading in Africa.
2.660
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Estonia2.016
United Kingdom4.680
Lowest and highest reading in Northern Europe.
3.228
the middle country, of 15 measured · 17 members
San Marino1.260
Albania9.227
Lowest and highest reading in Southern Europe.
3.716
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Luxembourg2.182
France4.343
Lowest and highest reading in Western Europe.
5.454
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Belarus2.331
Moldova16.460
Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Europe.
5.724
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
Japan2.434
North Korea16.666
Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Asia.
9.596
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Israel3.340
Yemen38.143
Lowest and highest reading in Western Asia.
12.376
the middle country, of 17 measured · 24 members
Turks and Caicos Islands4.653
Haiti52.753
Lowest and highest reading in Caribbean.
12.855
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
El Salvador10.047
Guatemala20.509
Lowest and highest reading in Central America.
13.561
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Chile6.753
Guyana25.210
Lowest and highest reading in South America.
14.862
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
Tonga9.513
Niue23.793
Lowest and highest reading in Polynesia.
16.782
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kazakhstan9.437
Turkmenistan39.005
Lowest and highest reading in Central Asia.
17.688
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Singapore2.680
Timor-Leste47.622
Lowest and highest reading in South-eastern Asia.
18.686
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Libya9.765
Sudan61.602
Lowest and highest reading in Northern Africa.
22.422
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
Nauru8.261
Kiribati53.094
Lowest and highest reading in Micronesia.
25.117
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Maldives5.439
Pakistan55.959
Lowest and highest reading in Southern Asia.
39.461
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana33.311
Lesotho59.957
Lowest and highest reading in Southern Africa.
47.711
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Seychelles13.959
Somalia101.066
Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Africa.
64.838
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe13.554
Chad97.258
Lowest and highest reading in Middle Africa.
70.159
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Cabo Verde11.139
Nigeria115.649
Lowest and highest reading in Western Africa.
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia3.607
New Zealand4.738
Lowest and highest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu17.144
Papua New Guinea39.383
Lowest and highest reading in Melanesia.
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
Canada5.427
United States6.472
Lowest and highest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
200 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 14.539; a quarter are above 36.041, and a quarter below 5.884. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 200 ever measured
In order, highest value first — position 1 is the highest value, the way UN IGME’s own tables read. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. The estimates carry full precision, so 200 economies hold 200 distinct values in 2024 and nothing ties.
Showing 25 of 200 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051952–2024 · 73 reference years
Each point is one year — 1952 to 2024, the longest continuous series on this site. These are modelled estimates fitted to whatever censuses, surveys and vital registration a country has, which is why every country has a figure for every year and why each carries published uncertainty bounds.
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 200 | 14.539 | 5.884 – 36.041 | 12.905 |
| 2023 | 200 | 15.239 | 6.086 – 37.423 | 13.302 |
| 2022 | 200 | 14.654 | 6.195 – 37.100 | 13.716 |
| 2021 | 200 | 15.073 | 6.413 – 38.440 | 14.116 |
| 2020 | 200 | 15.311 | 6.499 – 39.731 | 14.303 |
| 2019 | 200 | 15.696 | 6.804 – 41.042 | 14.325 |
| 2018 | 200 | 16.280 | 6.955 – 42.341 | 14.787 |
| 2017 | 200 | 16.785 | 7.271 – 43.449 | 14.714 |
| 2016 | 200 | 17.546 | 7.606 – 44.834 | 14.960 |
| 2015 | 200 | 17.855 | 7.868 – 46.461 | 15.453 |
| 2014 | 200 | 18.282 | 8.085 – 48.116 | 15.956 |
| 2013 | 200 | 18.742 | 8.231 – 49.492 | 16.496 |
| 2012 | 200 | 18.843 | 8.429 – 51.676 | 16.420 |
| 2011 | 200 | 18.975 | 8.609 – 53.146 | 16.030 |
| 2010 | 200 | 19.198 | 8.787 – 55.064 | 15.674 |
| 2009 | 200 | 20.792 | 8.998 – 57.319 | 17.104 |
| 2008 | 200 | 20.736 | 9.354 – 59.308 | 15.226 |
| 2007 | 200 | 21.789 | 9.526 – 62.254 | 15.852 |
| 2006 | 200 | 22.760 | 9.856 – 65.004 | 16.525 |
| 2005 | 200 | 23.957 | 10.480 – 68.274 | 17.248 |
| 2004 | 200 | 25.925 | 10.917 – 71.496 | 18.469 |
| 2003 | 200 | 26.928 | 11.244 – 75.852 | 18.441 |
| 2002 | 200 | 28.012 | 11.592 – 77.458 | 18.425 |
| 2001 | 200 | 29.052 | 12.049 – 80.419 | 18.440 |
| 2000 | 200 | 30.432 | 12.722 – 85.337 | 18.663 |
| 1999 | 200 | 31.566 | 13.237 – 91.241 | 19.473 |
| 1998 | 200 | 33.353 | 14.039 – 94.111 | 20.332 |
| 1997 | 200 | 34.933 | 14.246 – 97.527 | 21.224 |
| 1996 | 200 | 36.499 | 14.779 – 99.983 | 22.047 |
| 1995 | 200 | 37.876 | 15.332 – 104.292 | 22.700 |
| 1994 | 200 | 38.304 | 15.660 – 103.087 | 23.183 |
| 1993 | 200 | 40.591 | 16.784 – 106.580 | 23.487 |
| 1992 | 200 | 42.093 | 17.273 – 107.375 | 23.639 |
| 1991 | 200 | 42.849 | 17.472 – 105.670 | 23.724 |
| 1990 | 200 | 44.830 | 18.023 – 106.740 | 23.769 |
| 1989 | 200 | 47.203 | 18.189 – 111.161 | 25.233 |
| 1988 | 200 | 49.281 | 19.032 – 116.257 | 25.012 |
| 1987 | 200 | 51.934 | 20.420 – 118.132 | 25.815 |
| 1986 | 200 | 53.416 | 21.186 – 119.734 | 27.292 |
| 1985 | 200 | 55.077 | 21.987 – 121.929 | 28.501 |
| 1984 | 192 | 57.598 | 23.185 – 125.159 | 29.963 |
| 1983 | 189 | 60.013 | 24.754 – 130.577 | 31.512 |
| 1982 | 188 | 65.277 | 26.352 – 142.101 | 33.087 |
| 1981 | 185 | 63.606 | 26.951 – 143.127 | 35.930 |
| 1980 | 182 | 70.068 | 29.262 – 151.184 | 37.460 |
| 1979 | 181 | 71.629 | 30.291 – 154.326 | 38.794 |
| 1978 | 180 | 72.631 | 31.625 – 155.346 | 40.449 |
| 1977 | 177 | 74.344 | 33.616 – 153.518 | 42.359 |
| 1976 | 176 | 76.692 | 35.009 – 163.674 | 45.991 |
| 1975 | 174 | 78.495 | 36.570 – 159.997 | 50.854 |
| 1974 | 170 | 80.653 | 38.690 – 163.643 | 54.734 |
| 1973 | 168 | 81.456 | 40.791 – 170.045 | 55.614 |
| 1972 | 167 | 83.507 | 43.331 – 181.830 | 59.351 |
| 1971 | 165 | 85.624 | 45.538 – 187.475 | 63.337 |
| 1970 | 160 | 93.155 | 48.683 – 192.560 | 68.219 |
| 1969 | 159 | 94.451 | 50.988 – 192.691 | 71.318 |
| 1968 | 154 | 98.133 | 52.843 – 198.058 | 73.141 |
| 1967 | 149 | 103.880 | 55.524 – 202.425 | 75.843 |
| 1966 | 146 | 103.706 | 56.770 – 206.378 | 78.087 |
| 1965 | 145 | 102.947 | 54.081 – 207.438 | 80.682 |
| 1964 | 143 | 119.102 | 56.647 – 210.555 | 83.008 |
| 1963 | 140 | 119.514 | 57.547 – 211.163 | 86.147 |
| 1962 | 137 | 123.206 | 56.100 – 212.343 | 90.086 |
| 1961 | 135 | 128.498 | 56.053 – 214.141 | 93.739 |
| 1960 | 134 | 136.120 | 56.849 – 218.490 | 96.150 |
| 1959 | 131 | 139.480 | 59.362 – 224.886 | 101.787 |
| 1958 | 126 | 140.486 | 61.169 – 230.777 | 106.853 |
| 1957 | 118 | 151.502 | 78.738 – 239.864 | 112.877 |
| 1956 | 115 | 152.792 | 81.708 – 242.281 | 122.242 |
| 1955 | 105 | 152.596 | 67.982 – 237.400 | 127.277 |
| 1954 | 97 | 149.917 | 66.242 – 243.138 | 130.903 |
| 1953 | 89 | 144.387 | 69.811 – 243.124 | 135.089 |
| 1952 | 81 | 141.050 | 66.542 – 246.297 | 141.050 |
062023 → 2024
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
200 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024.
07Across every edition
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
780.939
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
Lowest reading on record
1.260
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
Biggest improvement between editions
−475.259
780.939 → 305.680
Biggest decline between editions
+423.105
357.834 → 780.939
Most improved since first measured
−516.590
535.000 → 18.410
At the top most often
36 of 73
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
The under-five mortality rate is how many children out of every thousand born alive die before their fifth birthday. It is the single measure that most cleanly separates the 1950s from now: the worst reading in the file is 781 per 1,000 and the best is 1.26.
What the number is: Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births).
What it does not measure
It counts deaths, not the health of the children who survive; stunting and other measures of child health are published on this site as context.
09Where it fits
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
A key statistic for Health & Wellbeing
“Deaths before a fifth birthday, the most widely used summary of whether a health system reaches people.”
Where under-five mortality rate is higher, these tend to be higher too.
Where under-five mortality rate is higher, these tend to be lower.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 189 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Analysis
11Keep reading
12Questions
San Marino, at 1.260, among the 200 countries compared in 2024.
Nigeria, at 115.649, among the 200 countries compared in 2024.
200 in 2024. The number measured varies from 81 to 200 between editions.
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 200 compared in 2024, the figure was 14.539.
No. UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
This site holds 73 reference years, 1952–2024, all recalculated in UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)’s 2025 report on one method — not 73 separate publications.
From UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), under CC BY 3.0 IGO. From the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, read out of UNICEF’s own SDMX warehouse (CME_MRY0T4) rather than the World Bank’s copy, which rounds to one decimal and manufactured ties in every edition. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
13Method
Under-Five Mortality Rate — UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)
From the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, read out of UNICEF’s own SDMX warehouse (CME_MRY0T4) rather than the World Bank’s copy, which rounds to one decimal and manufactured ties in every edition.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. Levels and Trends in Child Mortality. New York: UNICEF.
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-09.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
Nations Inquiry (2026). Under-five mortality rate by country: Under-Five Mortality Rate, data from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/under-five-mortality