Child mortality by income level of country in Malawi
Malawi: Child mortality by income level of country was 4.88 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.88 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
30th
of 199 countries
All-time high
35.85 deaths per 100 live births
in 1961
All-time low
4.88 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Child mortality by income level of country in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for child mortality by income level of country in Malawi is 4.88 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality by income level of country in Malawi peaked at 35.85 deaths per 100 live births in 1961 and was at its lowest, 4.88 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Malawi 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child mortality by income level of country in Malawi, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 35.85 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1962 | 35.69 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 35.53 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 35.35 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 35.24 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 35.06 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 34.9 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 34.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 34.51 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 34.17 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 33.66 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 33.01 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 32.24 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 31.37 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 30.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 29.5 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 28.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 27.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 26.54 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1980 | 25.69 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 25.02 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 24.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 24.55 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 24.77 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 25.12 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 25.4 deaths per 100 live births | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 25.47 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 25.32 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 24.93 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 24.35 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 23.65 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 22.88 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 22.15 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 21.47 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 20.77 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 20.26 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 19.75 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 19.12 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 18.23 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 17.1 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2001 | 23.9 deaths per 100 live births | +39.8% |
| 2002 | 14.32 deaths per 100 live births | -40.1% |
| 2003 | 13 deaths per 100 live births | -9.2% |
| 2004 | 11.87 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 2005 | 10.97 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 10.27 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 9.1 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 8.53 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 8.01 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 7.4 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 6.79 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2013 | 6.29 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 6 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 5.74 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 5.58 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 5.38 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 5.2 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 5.04 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 5 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 5.01 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 4.96 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35.2 deaths per 100 live births | 34.51 deaths per 100 live births | 35.85 deaths per 100 live births | 9 |
| 1970s | 30.7 deaths per 100 live births | 26.54 deaths per 100 live births | 34.17 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.09 deaths per 100 live births | 24.55 deaths per 100 live births | 25.69 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.26 deaths per 100 live births | 18.23 deaths per 100 live births | 24.35 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.88 deaths per 100 live births | 8.53 deaths per 100 live births | 23.9 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.15 deaths per 100 live births | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | 8.01 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | 5.04 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 27 Haiti 5.28 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 28 Angola 4.9 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 29 Djibouti 4.89 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 31 Uganda 4.87 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 32 Zambia 4.84 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 33 Timor-Leste 4.76 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 5.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0084 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 2.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.006 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality by income level of country in Malawi?
- Child mortality by income level of country in Malawi was 4.88 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality by income level of country recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 35.85 deaths per 100 live births in 1961.
- What is the lowest child mortality by income level of country recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.88 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for child mortality by income level of country?
- Malawi ranks 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality by income level of country rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality by income level of country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under five years, per 100 live births .