What is child mortality in China?

Child mortality in China was 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest child mortality recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 50.03 deaths per 100 live births in 1856.

What is the lowest child mortality recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.

How does China rank for child mortality?

China ranks 153rd out of 203 countries with data for 2024.

Is child mortality rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 50.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this China data come from?

The figures come from Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Child mortality in China

Name: Child mortality in China
Creator: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Child mortality was 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

0.5724 deaths per 100 live births

Change on year

down 6.5%

World rank

153rd

of 203 countries

All-time high

50.03 deaths per 100 live births

in 1856

All-time low

0.5724 deaths per 100 live births

in 2024

Years of data

225

1800–2024

Child mortality in China, 1800–2024

Source: Gapminder (2015); UN 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 in China is 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 225 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 50.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality in China peaked at 50.03 deaths per 100 live births in 1856 and was at its lowest, 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.

That places China 153rd out of 203 countries with data for 2024, 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

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1800s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1810s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1820s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1830s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1840s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1850s	46.52 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	50.03 deaths per 100 live births	10
1860s	43.61 deaths per 100 live births	42.13 deaths per 100 live births	46.44 deaths per 100 live births	10
1870s	41.76 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.87 deaths per 100 live births	10
1880s	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1890s	41.73 deaths per 100 live births	41.68 deaths per 100 live births	41.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1900s	41.41 deaths per 100 live births	41.1 deaths per 100 live births	41.65 deaths per 100 live births	10
1910s	40.57 deaths per 100 live births	40.13 deaths per 100 live births	41.01 deaths per 100 live births	10
1920s	39.59 deaths per 100 live births	39.15 deaths per 100 live births	40.03 deaths per 100 live births	10
1930s	36.14 deaths per 100 live births	33.65 deaths per 100 live births	39.05 deaths per 100 live births	10
1940s	32.55 deaths per 100 live births	31.86 deaths per 100 live births	33.24 deaths per 100 live births	10
1950s	28.47 deaths per 100 live births	23.33 deaths per 100 live births	31.71 deaths per 100 live births	10
1960s	16.33 deaths per 100 live births	11.54 deaths per 100 live births	30.9 deaths per 100 live births	10
1970s	8.77 deaths per 100 live births	6.59 deaths per 100 live births	11.21 deaths per 100 live births	10
1980s	5.61 deaths per 100 live births	5.38 deaths per 100 live births	6.26 deaths per 100 live births	10
1990s	4.76 deaths per 100 live births	3.91 deaths per 100 live births	5.36 deaths per 100 live births	10
2000s	2.59 deaths per 100 live births	1.71 deaths per 100 live births	3.66 deaths per 100 live births	10
2010s	1.14 deaths per 100 live births	0.8033 deaths per 100 live births	1.57 deaths per 100 live births	10
2020s	0.6583 deaths per 100 live births	0.5724 deaths per 100 live births	0.7501 deaths per 100 live births	5

Countries ranked near China

150 Qatar 0.5885 deaths per 100 live births compare
151 Sri Lanka 0.5881 deaths per 100 live births compare
152 Bulgaria 0.5736 deaths per 100 live births compare
154 Croatia 0.5646 deaths per 100 live births compare
155 Anguilla 0.5608 deaths per 100 live births compare
156 Maldives 0.5439 deaths per 100 live births compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More health data for China

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 8.74 million (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 7.51 million (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 8.70 million (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 7.46 million (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 8.44 million (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 7.21 million (2025)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality in China?: Child mortality in China was 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest child mortality recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 50.03 deaths per 100 live births in 1856.
What is the lowest child mortality recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 0.5724 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
How does China rank for child mortality?: China ranks 153rd out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
Is child mortality rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 50.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?: The figures come from Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 225 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Child mortality
Unit: deaths per 100 live births
Source: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 203 places, 42,924 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.