Child mortality rate (aged 1-4 years) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Child mortality rate was 0.7182 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.7182
Change on year
down 5.3%
World rank
155th
of 200 countries
All-time high
66.67
in 1951
All-time low
0.7182
in 2024
Years of data
74
1951–2024
Child mortality rate in Sri Lanka, 1951–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2024, child mortality rate in Sri Lanka stood at 0.7182. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 52.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 66.67 in 1951 and was at its lowest, 0.7182, in 2024.
That places Sri Lanka 155th out of 200 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.
Child mortality rate in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 66.67 | — |
| 1952 | 64.56 | -3.2% |
| 1953 | 62.35 | -3.4% |
| 1954 | 59.94 | -3.9% |
| 1955 | 57.18 | -4.6% |
| 1956 | 54.04 | -5.5% |
| 1957 | 50.38 | -6.8% |
| 1958 | 46.46 | -7.8% |
| 1959 | 42.66 | -8.2% |
| 1960 | 39.23 | -8.0% |
| 1961 | 36.39 | -7.2% |
| 1962 | 34.29 | -5.8% |
| 1963 | 32.65 | -4.8% |
| 1964 | 31.06 | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 29.38 | -5.4% |
| 1966 | 27.7 | -5.7% |
| 1967 | 26.14 | -5.6% |
| 1968 | 24.77 | -5.2% |
| 1969 | 23.67 | -4.4% |
| 1970 | 22.85 | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 22.19 | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 21.61 | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 21.04 | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 20.37 | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 19.52 | -4.2% |
| 1976 | 18.5 | -5.3% |
| 1977 | 17.28 | -6.6% |
| 1978 | 16 | -7.4% |
| 1979 | 14.74 | -7.8% |
| 1980 | 13.58 | -7.9% |
| 1981 | 12.5 | -8.0% |
| 1982 | 11.47 | -8.2% |
| 1983 | 10.46 | -8.9% |
| 1984 | 9.38 | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 8.3 | -11.5% |
| 1986 | 7.35 | -11.5% |
| 1987 | 6.62 | -9.9% |
| 1988 | 6.11 | -7.8% |
| 1989 | 8.48 | +38.8% |
| 1990 | 5.52 | -34.9% |
| 1991 | 5.31 | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 5.07 | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 4.79 | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 4.51 | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 4.24 | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 3.99 | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 3.76 | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 3.56 | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 3.4 | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 3.28 | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 3.21 | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 3.15 | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 3.09 | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 12.42 | +301.6% |
| 2005 | 2.85 | -77.0% |
| 2006 | 2.68 | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 2.51 | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 2.34 | -6.5% |
| 2009 | 8.29 | +253.8% |
| 2010 | 2.07 | -75.1% |
| 2011 | 1.94 | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 1.8 | -7.3% |
| 2013 | 1.65 | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 1.51 | -8.5% |
| 2015 | 1.38 | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 1.27 | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 1.17 | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 1.08 | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 0.998 | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 0.9243 | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 0.86 | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 0.8054 | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 0.7586 | -5.8% |
| 2024 | 0.7182 | -5.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.7182 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.62, 44% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 0.7182 is below the median for South Asia, which is 3.12, 23% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +301.6% | 3.09 | 12.42 |
| 2009 | +253.8% | 2.34 | 8.29 |
| 2005 | -77.0% | 12.42 | 2.85 |
| 2010 | -75.1% | 8.29 | 2.07 |
| 1989 | +38.8% | 6.11 | 8.48 |
| 1990 | -34.9% | 8.48 | 5.52 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 56.03 | 42.66 | 66.67 | 9 |
| 1960s | 30.53 | 23.67 | 39.23 | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.41 | 14.74 | 22.85 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.43 | 6.11 | 13.58 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.41 | 3.4 | 5.52 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.38 | 2.34 | 12.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.49 | 0.998 | 2.07 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8133 | 0.7182 | 0.9243 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 304 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.13 % 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 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.12 % 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 Sri Lanka?
- Child mortality rate in Sri Lanka was 0.7182 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 66.67 in 1951.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7182 in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for child mortality rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 155th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Child mortality rate (aged 1-4 years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).