Infant Mortality Rate by Country 2022

An indicator of population health, the infant mortality rate measures the number of newborns (and occasionally unborn) that die each year. The number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births is often used.

One or more of the following may be blamed for a high rate of infant mortality in a country: poverty, malaria; malnutrition; poor infrastructure; or an absence of competent health care.




It should be noted that these are all frequent issues in the developing world. There are several nations with high birth and fertility rates that have high infant mortality rates, as well.

Neonatal encephalopathy, infections, preterm birth difficulties, lower respiratory infections, and diarrheal disorders are among the leading causes of infant death across the globe. Newborns under a week old have a diverse set of leading causes of mortality than older infants.

The infant mortality rate has declined dramatically over the last several decades, from 140 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1950-55 to 52.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 27.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020.

10 countries have the highest infant mortality rate (UNICEF 2020 – deaths per 1,000 live births):

  1. Sierra Leone — 80.10
  2. Central African Republic — 77.50
  3. Somalia — 72.72
  4. Nigeria — 72.24
  5. Lesotho — 69.88
  6. Chad — 67.40
  7. DR Congo — 63.79
  8. South Sudan — 63.34
  9. Guinea — 61.99
  10. Mali — 58.77




The top 10 countries with the lowest infant mortality rate in the world:

  1. Iceland — 1.54
  2. San Marino — 1.56
  3. Estonia — 1.65
  4. Slovenia — 1.76
  5. Norway — 1.79
  6. Japan — 1.82
  7. Singapore — 1.85
  8. Finland — 1.88
  9. Montenegro — 1.95
  10. Sweden — 2.15

The United States has an alarmingly high rate of infant mortality.




The leading causes of infant death in the United States include birth defects, prematurity, low birth weight, difficulties during pregnancy, SIDS, and traumas (such as accidental suffocation).

According to the CDC, the death rate in the United States is expected to be 5.44 per 100,000 people in 2020. These numbers were much higher than those from other industrialized nations such as Sweden (2.15), Japan (1.82), and Australia (both 1.82), which came in at 50th place out of the 195 countries surveyed (3.14).

The gap in newborn mortality rates between the United States and other nations seems to be mostly attributable to country-to-country discrepancies in the compilation of infant mortality data.

Varied nations have different definitions of infant mortality, and the United State’s definition is far wider than the definitions of most other countries.




According to the US Centers for Disease Control, an infant’s death occurs between the time of conception (the beginning of pregnancy) and the child’s first birthday.

A child’s cause of death is not included unless it occurs during the first 42 days (about six weeks) following birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The fact that the window of inclusion in the United States is 323 days (about 10.5 months) longer undoubtedly adds considerably to the higher totals of infant deaths in the United States in the United States. There is a comparable distortion of sexual assault numbers in Sweden.

Additionally, some nations do not include deaths during pregnancy (stillbirths, miscarriages, etc.) in their infant mortality rate since a kid is not considered an infant until it is delivered.

Although any infant mortality rate greater than 0.0 is cause for worry, the U.S. figure is probably not as bad as it first looks when compared to rates in other nations.

Also See: HIV Rates by Country 2022




RankingCountryDeaths per 1,000 live births (UNICEF 2020)2022 Population
195Sierra Leone80.10008306.4360
194Central African Republic77.50005016.6780
193Somalia72.720016841.7950
192Nigeria72.2400216746.9340
191Lesotho69.88002175.6990
190Chad67.400017413.5800
189DR Congo63.790095240.7920
188South Sudan63.340011618.5110
187Guinea61.990013865.6910
186Mali58.770021473.7640
185Equatorial Guinea58.28001496.6620
184Liberia58.15005305.1170
183Ivory Coast57.880027742.2980
182Benin56.540012784.7260
181Pakistan54.1500229488.9940
180Burkina Faso52.820022102.8380
179Mozambique52.770033089.4610
178Guinea-Bissau51.40002063.3670
177Mauritania49.02004901.9810
176Angola48.340035027.3430
175Cameroon48.340027911.5480
174Comoros47.2300907.4190
173Djibouti47.18001016.0970
172Haiti46.660011680.2830
171Yemen45.710031154.8670
170Niger45.610026083.6600
169Afghanistan44.970040754.3880
168Togo44.36008680.8370
167Zambia41.660019470.2340
166Sudan39.920045992.0200
165Kiribati39.2100123.4190
164Burundi38.640012624.8400
163Zimbabwe37.930015331.4280
162Eswatini37.42001184.8170
161Timor-Leste36.52001369.4290
160Madagascar36.260029178.0770
159Turkmenistan36.10006201.9430
158Botswana36.08002441.1620
157Ethiopia35.3700120812.6980
156Laos35.34007481.0230
155Papua New Guinea35.23009292.1690
154Myanmar35.050055227.1430
153Gambia34.74002558.4820
152Tanzania34.720063298.5500
151Ghana33.020032395.4500
150Republic of the Congo32.98005797.8050
149Uganda31.860048432.8630
148Dominica31.690072.3440
147Kenya31.150056215.2210
146Gabon30.69002331.5330
145Rwanda30.270013600.4640
144Namibia30.14002633.8740
143Eritrea29.69003662.2440
142Malawi29.020020180.8390
141Senegal28.850017653.6710
140Tajikistan28.35009957.4640
139Dominican Republic27.870011056.3700
138India27.01001406631.7760
137South Africa25.780060756.1350
136Marshall Islands25.520060.0570
135Bangladesh24.3200167885.6890
134Nauru23.850010.9030
133Guyana23.7800794.0450
132Nepal23.590030225.5820
131Bhutan23.1800787.9410
130Fiji23.0300909.4660
129Cambodia22.050017168.6390
128Saint Lucia22.0200185.1130
127Iraq21.320042164.9650
126Vanuatu21.0700321.8320
125Venezuela21.060029266.9910
124Niue20.97001.6220
123Philippines20.9500112508.9940
122Micronesia20.8500117.4890
121Bolivia20.720011992.6560
120Guatemala20.060018584.0390
119Indonesia19.5500279134.5050
118Algeria19.460045350.1480
117Tuvalu18.740012.0660
116Syria18.450019364.8090
115Azerbaijan17.320010300.2050
114Vietnam16.700098953.5410
113Egypt16.6500106156.6920
112Solomon Islands16.5800721.1590
111Paraguay16.18007305.8430
110Morocco16.020037772.7560
109Suriname15.7000596.8310
108Kyrgyzstan15.67006728.2710
107Palau15.670018.2330
106Trinidad and Tobago14.83001406.5850
105Mauritius14.80001274.7270
104Samoa14.6200202.2390
103Grenada14.5300113.4750
102Tunisia14.290012046.6560
101Palestine14.20005345.5410
100Honduras13.940010221.2470
99Nicaragua13.79006779.1000
98Mongolia13.22003378.0780
97Brazil13.1300215353.5930
96Jordan12.920010300.8690
95Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12.9200111.5510
94Sao Tome and Principe12.7400227.6790
93Saint Kitts and Nevis12.580053.8710
92Moldova12.46004013.1710
91Uzbekistan12.460034382.0840
90Panama12.34004446.9640
88Seychelles1299.4260
87Mexico11.7700131562.7720
86North Korea11.600025990.6790
85Jamaica11.43002985.0940
84Barbados11.3800288.0230
83Colombia11.350051512.7620
82Ecuador11.150018113.3610
81Iran11.140086022.8370
80El Salvador11.08006550.3890
79Bahamas10.5300400.5160
78Belize10.0300412.1900
77Peru9.950033684.2080
76Tonga9.8100107.7490
75Armenia9.74002971.9660
74Brunei9.6400445.4310
73Libya9.53007040.7450
72Kazakhstan8.920019205.0430
71Albania8.76002866.3740
70Georgia8.23003968.7380
69Turkey8.130085561.9760
68Argentina7.610046010.2340
67Kuwait7.58004380.3260
66Thailand7.410070078.2030
65Malaysia7.380033181.0720
64Ukraine6.940043192.1220
63Costa Rica6.73005182.3540
62Oman6.45005323.9930
61Cook Islands6.320017.5710
60Saudi Arabia5.990035844.9090
59Lebanon5.97006684.8490
58Sri Lanka5.920021575.8420
57Bahrain5.79001783.9830
56Chile5.770019250.1950
55Malta5.6300444.0330
54Romania5.630019031.3350
53United Arab Emirates5.620010081.7850
52Maldives5.5200540.9850
51China5.47001448471.4000
50United States5.4400334805.2690
49Antigua and Barbuda5.380099.5090
48Uruguay5.32003496.0160
47North Macedonia5.20002081.3040
46Bulgaria5.14006844.5970
45Bosnia and Herzegovina4.95003249.3170
44Qatar4.93002979.9150
43Serbia4.87008653.0160
42Slovakia4.69005460.1930
41Canada4.380038388.4190
40Russia4.3600145805.9470
39Cuba4.080011305.6520
38New Zealand3.93004898.2030
37Croatia3.87004059.2860
36Poland3.740037739.7850
35United Kingdom3.620068497.9070
34Greece3.580010316.6370
33Netherlands3.580017211.4470
32Switzerland3.52008773.6370
31France3.450065584.5180
30Belgium3.440011668.2780
29Latvia3.44001848.8370
28Hungary3.36009606.2590
27Australia3.140026068.7920
26Denmark3.13005834.9500
25Germany3.100083883.5960
24Austria2.97009066.7100
23Israel2.90008922.8920
22Portugal2.730010140.5700
21Spain2.710046719.1420
20Lithuania2.68002661.7080
19Ireland2.62005020.1990
18South Korea2.590051329.8990
17Italy2.470060262.7700
16Monaco2.460039.7830
15Andorra2.380077.4630
14Czech Republic2.320010736.7840
13Luxembourg2.2800642.3710
12Cyprus2.25001223.3870
11Belarus2.19009432.8000
10Sweden2.150010218.9710
9Montenegro1.9500627.9500
8Finland1.88005554.9600
7Singapore1.85005943.5460
6Japan1.8200125584.8380
5Norway1.79005511.3700
4Slovenia1.76002078.0340
3Estonia1.65001321.9100
2San Marino1.560034.0850
1Iceland1.5400345.3930




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