What is child mortality rate in Malawi?

Child mortality rate in Malawi was 5.9% in 2019, according to IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Malawi?

The highest recorded value was 40.0% in 1950.

What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Malawi?

The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2019.

How does Malawi rank for child mortality rate?

Malawi ranks 22nd out of 204 countries with data for 2019.

Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Malawi?

Over the last ten years it is down 40.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Malawi data come from?

The figures come from IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Child mortality rate in Malawi

Name: Child mortality rate in Malawi
Creator: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Malawi: Child mortality rate was 5.9% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)

5.9%

Change on year

down 5.4%

World rank

22nd

of 204 countries

All-time high

40.0%

in 1950

All-time low

5.9%

in 2019

Years of data

1950–2019

Child mortality rate in Malawi, 1950–2019

Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 5.9% for child mortality rate in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 70 years on record.

That represents a change of down 5.4% on the previous year and down 40.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Malawi peaked at 40.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2019.

Malawi ranks 22nd of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 70 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	38.4%	36.7%	40.0%	10
1960s	34.4%	32.4%	36.3%	10
1970s	28.9%	26.0%	31.9%	10
1980s	23.6%	21.8%	25.4%	10
1990s	18.9%	16.3%	21.3%	10
2000s	12.6%	9.9%	15.5%	10
2010s	7.5%	5.9%	9.4%	10

Countries ranked near Malawi

19 Pakistan 6.3% compare
20 Togo 6.3% compare
21 Liberia 6.1% compare
23 Uganda 5.8% compare
24 Democratic Republic of Congo 5.8% compare
25 Tanzania 5.7% compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More health data for Malawi

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 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 193,780 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 198,476 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 200,046 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 204,753 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 207,829 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 212,512 (2025)

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality rate in Malawi?: Child mortality rate in Malawi was 5.9% in 2019, according to IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Malawi?: The highest recorded value was 40.0% in 1950.
What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Malawi?: The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2019.
How does Malawi rank for child mortality rate?: Malawi ranks 22nd out of 204 countries with data for 2019.
Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Malawi?: Over the last ten years it is down 40.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?: The figures come from IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 70 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Child mortality rate
Unit: %
Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 204 places, 14,280 data points, 1950–2019
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Probability of death before the age of five