Child mortality rate in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Child mortality rate was 6.47 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6.47 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
17th
of 199 countries
All-time high
16.69 deaths per 100 live births
in 1954
All-time low
5.63 deaths per 100 live births
in 2018
Years of data
71
1954–2024
Child mortality rate in Zimbabwe, 1954–2024
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
In 2024, child mortality rate in Zimbabwe stood at 6.47 deaths per 100 live births.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Zimbabwe peaked at 16.69 deaths per 100 live births in 1954 and was at its lowest, 5.63 deaths per 100 live births, in 2018.
Zimbabwe ranks 17th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 71 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 16.69 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1955 | 16.48 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 16.27 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1957 | 16.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1958 | 15.83 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 15.59 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1960 | 15.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1961 | 15.04 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1962 | 14.71 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 14.36 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 13.99 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 13.58 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 13.21 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 12.85 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 12.58 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 12.39 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 12.23 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 12.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 12.02 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 11.99 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 12.03 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 12.09 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 12.12 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 12.15 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 12.18 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 12.16 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 12 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 11.58 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1982 | 10.97 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1983 | 10.28 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 9.58 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 1985 | 8.94 deaths per 100 live births | -6.7% |
| 1986 | 8.45 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1987 | 8.13 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 8.02 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 8.12 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 8.4 deaths per 100 live births | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 8.79 deaths per 100 live births | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 9.23 deaths per 100 live births | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 9.75 deaths per 100 live births | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 10.27 deaths per 100 live births | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 10.42 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 10.8 deaths per 100 live births | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 10.07 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 1998 | 9.71 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 9.97 deaths per 100 live births | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 9.94 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 9.63 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 9.38 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 9.19 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 9.12 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 9.16 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 8.76 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 9.06 deaths per 100 live births | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 9.11 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 8.98 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 8.52 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 7.72 deaths per 100 live births | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 6.8 deaths per 100 live births | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 6.26 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2014 | 5.98 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 5.92 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 5.75 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 5.67 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 5.63 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 5.86 deaths per 100 live births | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 6.17 deaths per 100 live births | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 6.24 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 6.4 deaths per 100 live births | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 6.42 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 6.47 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.69 deaths per 100 live births, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 6.47 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.89 deaths per 100 live births, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.15 deaths per 100 live births | 15.59 deaths per 100 live births | 16.69 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1960s | 13.8 deaths per 100 live births | 12.39 deaths per 100 live births | 15.35 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.11 deaths per 100 live births | 11.99 deaths per 100 live births | 12.23 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.61 deaths per 100 live births | 8.02 deaths per 100 live births | 12 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.74 deaths per 100 live births | 8.4 deaths per 100 live births | 10.8 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.23 deaths per 100 live births | 8.76 deaths per 100 live births | 9.94 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.41 deaths per 100 live births | 5.63 deaths per 100 live births | 8.52 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.34 deaths per 100 live births | 6.17 deaths per 100 live births | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 14 Equatorial Guinea 6.8 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 15 Guinea-Bissau 6.73 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 16 Cameroon 6.48 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 18 Cote d'Ivoire 6.45 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 19 Madagascar 6.24 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 20 Sudan 6.16 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 874.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,457 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % 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 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- Child mortality rate in Zimbabwe was 6.47 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 rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 16.69 deaths per 100 live births in 1954.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.63 deaths per 100 live births in 2018.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for child mortality rate?
- Zimbabwe ranks 17th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 rate. 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 .