Child mortality rate in Rwanda
Rwanda: Child mortality rate was 3.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Child mortality rate in Rwanda, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
In 2023, child mortality rate in Rwanda stood at 3.7%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Rwanda peaked at 36.4% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2023.
Rwanda ranks 54th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 26.2% | — |
| 1951 | 25.9% | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 25.5% | -1.2% |
| 1953 | 25.2% | -1.3% |
| 1954 | 24.9% | -1.4% |
| 1955 | 24.5% | -1.6% |
| 1956 | 24.1% | -1.6% |
| 1957 | 23.7% | -1.8% |
| 1958 | 23.2% | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 22.8% | -2.0% |
| 1960 | 22.3% | -2.0% |
| 1961 | 21.9% | -1.9% |
| 1962 | 21.5% | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 22.1% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 21.2% | -4.1% |
| 1965 | 21.1% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 21.2% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 21.3% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 21.6% | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 21.9% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 22.2% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 22.6% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 23.0% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 23.4% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 23.8% | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 24.2% | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 24.3% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 24.1% | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 23.5% | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 22.6% | -3.9% |
| 1980 | 21.5% | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 20.2% | -5.9% |
| 1982 | 19.0% | -6.0% |
| 1983 | 17.9% | -5.7% |
| 1984 | 17.0% | -5.0% |
| 1985 | 16.3% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 15.8% | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 15.5% | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 15.4% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 15.6% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 16.0% | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 16.7% | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 17.7% | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 18.8% | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 36.4% | +93.5% |
| 1995 | 21.2% | -41.7% |
| 1996 | 21.1% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 21.3% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 19.3% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 17.9% | -7.1% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | -8.5% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | -10.4% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 7.7% | -9.7% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | -8.9% |
| 2010 | 6.5% | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 5.6% | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 4.8% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 4.1% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 3.7% | -3.4% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 3.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.4%, 57% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 3.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.0%, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Rwanda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +93.5% | 18.8% | 36.4% |
| 1995 | -41.7% | 36.4% | 21.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.6% | 22.8% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.6% | 21.1% | 22.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 23.4% | 22.2% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.4% | 15.4% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.9% | 16.0% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 7.1% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 4.2% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More health data for Rwanda
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.891 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 860.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,738 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9441 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.065 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9697 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Rwanda?
- Child mortality rate in Rwanda was 3.7% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 36.4% in 1994.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2023.
- How does Rwanda rank for child mortality rate?
- Rwanda ranks 54th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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
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About this data
Share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.