What is child mortality in Japan?

Child mortality in Japan was 0.2434 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 Japan?

The highest recorded value was 36.33 deaths per 100 live births in 1800.

What is the lowest child mortality recorded in Japan?

The lowest recorded value was 0.2381 deaths per 100 live births in 2022.

How does Japan rank for child mortality?

Japan ranks 194th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.

Is child mortality rising or falling in Japan?

Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Japan 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 Japan

Name: Child mortality in Japan
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)

Japan: Child mortality was 0.2434 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

0.2434 deaths per 100 live births

Change on year

up 1.4%

World rank

194th

of 203 countries

All-time high

36.33 deaths per 100 live births

in 1800

All-time low

0.2381 deaths per 100 live births

in 2022

Years of data

225

1800–2024

Child mortality in Japan, 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 Japan is 0.2434 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 14.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality in Japan peaked at 36.33 deaths per 100 live births in 1800 and was at its lowest, 0.2381 deaths per 100 live births, in 2022.

That places Japan 194th 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	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1810s	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1820s	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1830s	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1840s	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1850s	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1860s	36.27 deaths per 100 live births	36.1 deaths per 100 live births	36.33 deaths per 100 live births	10
1870s	35.89 deaths per 100 live births	35.63 deaths per 100 live births	36.1 deaths per 100 live births	10
1880s	35.27 deaths per 100 live births	34.94 deaths per 100 live births	35.63 deaths per 100 live births	10
1890s	34.39 deaths per 100 live births	33.86 deaths per 100 live births	34.82 deaths per 100 live births	10
1900s	32.89 deaths per 100 live births	31.96 deaths per 100 live births	33.73 deaths per 100 live births	10
1910s	29.51 deaths per 100 live births	27.44 deaths per 100 live births	31.67 deaths per 100 live births	10
1920s	24.67 deaths per 100 live births	21.85 deaths per 100 live births	28.6 deaths per 100 live births	10
1930s	18.17 deaths per 100 live births	16.03 deaths per 100 live births	20.91 deaths per 100 live births	10
1940s	12.58 deaths per 100 live births	9.91 deaths per 100 live births	14.74 deaths per 100 live births	10
1950s	6.32 deaths per 100 live births	4.33 deaths per 100 live births	9.15 deaths per 100 live births	10
1960s	2.72 deaths per 100 live births	1.85 deaths per 100 live births	3.98 deaths per 100 live births	10
1970s	1.38 deaths per 100 live births	1.05 deaths per 100 live births	1.75 deaths per 100 live births	10
1980s	0.7876 deaths per 100 live births	0.6441 deaths per 100 live births	0.9896 deaths per 100 live births	10
1990s	0.5665 deaths per 100 live births	0.4726 deaths per 100 live births	0.6322 deaths per 100 live births	10
2000s	0.3848 deaths per 100 live births	0.3358 deaths per 100 live births	0.45 deaths per 100 live births	10
2010s	0.2843 deaths per 100 live births	0.2456 deaths per 100 live births	0.3278 deaths per 100 live births	10
2020s	0.2401 deaths per 100 live births	0.2381 deaths per 100 live births	0.2434 deaths per 100 live births	5

Countries ranked near Japan

191 Andorra 0.2507 deaths per 100 live births compare
192 Latvia 0.2501 deaths per 100 live births compare
193 Norway 0.2487 deaths per 100 live births compare
195 Sweden 0.2406 deaths per 100 live births compare
196 Montenegro 0.2383 deaths per 100 live births compare
197 Finland 0.2352 deaths per 100 live births compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More health data for Japan

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 178 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 633,995 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 607,213 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 640,318 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 611,707 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 638,500 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 608,501 (2025)

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality in Japan?: Child mortality in Japan was 0.2434 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 Japan?: The highest recorded value was 36.33 deaths per 100 live births in 1800.
What is the lowest child mortality recorded in Japan?: The lowest recorded value was 0.2381 deaths per 100 live births in 2022.
How does Japan rank for child mortality?: Japan ranks 194th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
Is child mortality rising or falling in Japan?: Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan 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.