What is child mortality in South Korea?

Child mortality in South Korea was 0.2796 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 South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 53.16 deaths per 100 live births in 1908.

What is the lowest child mortality recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.2796 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.

How does South Korea rank for child mortality?

South Korea ranks 186th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.

Is child mortality rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this South Korea 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 South Korea

Name: Child mortality in South Korea
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)

South Korea: Child mortality was 0.2796 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

0.2796 deaths per 100 live births

Change on year

down 1.9%

World rank

186th

of 203 countries

All-time high

53.16 deaths per 100 live births

in 1908

All-time low

0.2796 deaths per 100 live births

in 2024

Years of data

225

1800–2024

Child mortality in South Korea, 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 South Korea is 0.2796 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 1.9% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality in South Korea peaked at 53.16 deaths per 100 live births in 1908 and was at its lowest, 0.2796 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.

That places South Korea 186th 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	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1810s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1820s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1830s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1840s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1850s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1860s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1870s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1880s	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1890s	50.32 deaths per 100 live births	50.26 deaths per 100 live births	50.34 deaths per 100 live births	10
1900s	51.28 deaths per 100 live births	50.07 deaths per 100 live births	53.16 deaths per 100 live births	10
1910s	49.14 deaths per 100 live births	46 deaths per 100 live births	52 deaths per 100 live births	10
1920s	40.99 deaths per 100 live births	36.32 deaths per 100 live births	45.2 deaths per 100 live births	10
1930s	31.16 deaths per 100 live births	26.9 deaths per 100 live births	35.44 deaths per 100 live births	10
1940s	30.67 deaths per 100 live births	26.41 deaths per 100 live births	35.3 deaths per 100 live births	10
1950s	20.86 deaths per 100 live births	11.97 deaths per 100 live births	36.94 deaths per 100 live births	10
1960s	8.95 deaths per 100 live births	6.6 deaths per 100 live births	11.29 deaths per 100 live births	10
1970s	4.83 deaths per 100 live births	3.85 deaths per 100 live births	6.14 deaths per 100 live births	10
1980s	2.61 deaths per 100 live births	1.71 deaths per 100 live births	3.63 deaths per 100 live births	10
1990s	1.13 deaths per 100 live births	0.7999 deaths per 100 live births	1.57 deaths per 100 live births	10
2000s	0.5828 deaths per 100 live births	0.4307 deaths per 100 live births	0.7553 deaths per 100 live births	10
2010s	0.359 deaths per 100 live births	0.3136 deaths per 100 live births	0.4124 deaths per 100 live births	10
2020s	0.2915 deaths per 100 live births	0.2796 deaths per 100 live births	0.3051 deaths per 100 live births	5

Countries ranked near South Korea

183 Spain 0.3193 deaths per 100 live births compare
184 Iceland 0.282 deaths per 100 live births compare
185 North Macedonia 0.2803 deaths per 100 live births compare
187 Italy 0.2702 deaths per 100 live births compare
188 Singapore 0.268 deaths per 100 live births compare
189 Monaco 0.2661 deaths per 100 live births compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More health data for South Korea

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,072 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 69 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 343,093 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 314,477 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 328,684 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 299,106 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 295,765 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 267,725 (2025)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality in South Korea?: Child mortality in South Korea was 0.2796 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 South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 53.16 deaths per 100 live births in 1908.
What is the lowest child mortality recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.2796 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
How does South Korea rank for child mortality?: South Korea ranks 186th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
Is child mortality rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.