Child mortality rate in Australia

Australia: Child mortality rate was 0.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0.4%
Change on year
down 15.5%
World rank
207th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.2%
in 1951
All-time low
0.4%
in 2020
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Child mortality rate in Australia, 1950–2023

0123195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.

Analysis

The most recent figure for child mortality rate in Australia is 0.4%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.5% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Australia peaked at 3.2% in 1951 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2020.

That places Australia 207th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 2.8% 2.5% 3.2% 10
1960s 2.3% 2.2% 2.5% 10
1970s 1.8% 1.3% 2.2% 10
1980s 1.1% 1.0% 1.3% 10
1990s 0.8% 0.6% 0.9% 10
2000s 0.6% 0.5% 0.6% 10
2010s 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 10
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 204 Belgium 0.4% compare
  2. 205 Hungary 0.4% compare
  3. 206 Greece 0.4% compare
  4. 208 Poland 0.4% compare
  5. 209 Latvia 0.4% compare
  6. 210 Switzerland 0.4% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality rate in Australia?
Child mortality rate in Australia was 0.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 1951.
What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2020.
How does Australia rank for child mortality rate?
Australia ranks 207th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Child mortality rate
Unit
% of children
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

The share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.