Child mortality rate in East Timor
East Timor: Child mortality rate was 4.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Child mortality rate in East Timor, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
East Timor recorded 4.7% for child mortality rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in East Timor peaked at 41.8% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2023.
That places East Timor 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child mortality rate in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % of children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.1% | — |
| 1951 | 39.7% | -1.0% |
| 1952 | 39.3% | -1.0% |
| 1953 | 38.9% | -1.0% |
| 1954 | 38.5% | -1.0% |
| 1955 | 38.1% | -1.0% |
| 1956 | 37.7% | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 37.3% | -1.1% |
| 1958 | 36.9% | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 36.5% | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 36.0% | -1.3% |
| 1961 | 35.5% | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 35.0% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 34.5% | -1.5% |
| 1964 | 33.9% | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 33.3% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 32.7% | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 32.1% | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 31.5% | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 30.9% | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 30.3% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 29.7% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 29.1% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 28.6% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 31.3% | +9.4% |
| 1975 | 38.8% | +24.2% |
| 1976 | 36.4% | -6.2% |
| 1977 | 38.3% | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 41.8% | +9.2% |
| 1979 | 39.8% | -4.6% |
| 1980 | 30.6% | -23.3% |
| 1981 | 29.2% | -4.4% |
| 1982 | 27.8% | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 27.2% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 24.8% | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 25.1% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 24.6% | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | -6.3% |
| 1988 | 23.0% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 22.4% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 22.1% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 22.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 21.1% | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 20.2% | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 19.6% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 19.8% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 19.1% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 18.4% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 18.8% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 19.7% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 11.1% | -43.6% |
| 2001 | 10.6% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 10.1% | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 9.2% | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 8.4% | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 7.7% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 7.5% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 6.9% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 6.7% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 6.5% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 5.7% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 4.7% | -3.6% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 4.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.9%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 4.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.6%, 3.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in East Timor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -43.6% | 19.7% | 11.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 38.3% | 36.5% | 40.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 33.6% | 30.9% | 36.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 34.4% | 28.6% | 41.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.8% | 22.4% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.1% | 18.4% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 7.5% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.4% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More health data for East Timor
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.22 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.894 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,287 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 162 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.051 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in East Timor?
- Child mortality rate in East Timor was 4.7% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 41.8% in 1978.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2023.
- How does East Timor rank for child mortality rate?
- East Timor ranks 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor 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.
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About this data
Share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.