Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG): Child deaths was 936,884 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
936,884
Change on year
down 2.5%
Rank
2nd
of 48 groups
All-time high
1.69 million
in 1996
All-time low
936,884
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), 1990–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1990200720241990: 1.6M1991: 1.6M1992: 1.7M1993: 1.7M1994: 1.7M1995: 1.6M1996: 1.7M1997: 1.7M1998: 1.7M1999: 1.6M2000: 1.6M2001: 1.6M2002: 1.5M2003: 1.5M2004: 1.4M2005: 1.4M2006: 1.3M2007: 1.3M2008: 1.2M2009: 1.3M2010: 1.2M2011: 1.2M2012: 1.1M2013: 1.1M2014: 1.1M2015: 1.1M2016: 1.1M2017: 1.1M2018: 1.0M2019: 1.0M2020: 996.0k2021: 1.0M2022: 1.1M2023: 961.0k2024: 936.9k

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) is 936,884, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) peaked at 1.69 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 936,884, in 2024.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) 2nd out of 48 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), year by year

Annual values for Child deaths (aged 1-4 years) in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), 1990 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1990 1.59 million
1991 1.65 million +3.5%
1992 1.67 million +1.5%
1993 1.69 million +0.9%
1994 1.67 million -0.7%
1995 1.65 million -1.6%
1996 1.69 million +2.6%
1997 1.68 million -0.9%
1998 1.69 million +0.6%
1999 1.62 million -4.0%
2000 1.59 million -2.0%
2001 1.57 million -1.0%
2002 1.51 million -3.8%
2003 1.47 million -2.6%
2004 1.43 million -2.7%
2005 1.36 million -5.0%
2006 1.32 million -3.0%
2007 1.28 million -2.9%
2008 1.24 million -3.1%
2009 1.25 million +1.1%
2010 1.18 million -6.1%
2011 1.20 million +2.1%
2012 1.12 million -6.9%
2013 1.09 million -2.8%
2014 1.10 million +0.7%
2015 1.08 million -1.1%
2016 1.08 million -0.7%
2017 1.08 million +0.4%
2018 1.03 million -5.0%
2019 1.03 million -0.1%
2020 996,046 -2.9%
2021 1.02 million +2.8%
2022 1.06 million +3.9%
2023 960,958 -9.7%
2024 936,884 -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.66 million 1.59 million 1.69 million 10
2000s 1.40 million 1.24 million 1.59 million 10
2010s 1.10 million 1.03 million 1.20 million 10
2020s 996,588 936,884 1.06 million 5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

  1. 1 Nigeria 336,032 compare
  2. 2 Democratic Republic of Congo 138,014 compare
  3. 3 India 75,457 compare
  4. 4 Pakistan 52,381 compare
  5. 5 Niger 46,536 compare

See the full ranking of 249 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) →

Frequently asked questions

What is child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) was 936,884 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest child deaths recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The highest recorded value was 1.69 million in 1996.
What is the lowest child deaths recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The lowest recorded value was 936,884 in 2024.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) rank for child deaths?
Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) ranks 2nd out of 48 groups with data for 2024.
Is child deaths rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Child deaths (aged 1-4 years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/child-deaths-aged-1-4-years/sub-saharan-africa-unsdg/

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About this data

Indicator
Child deaths (aged 1-4 years)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
249 places, 13,742 data points, 1955–2024
Last refreshed