Child mortality rate in Rwanda
Rwanda: Child mortality rate was 4.7% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Child mortality rate in Rwanda, 1950–2019
Source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, child mortality rate in Rwanda stood at 4.7%. That is the lowest value across all 70 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.1% on the previous year and down 39.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Rwanda peaked at 52.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2019.
That places Rwanda 40th out of 204 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 70 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 35.4% | — |
| 1951 | 35.3% | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 36.7% | +4.1% |
| 1953 | 34.2% | -6.8% |
| 1954 | 33.0% | -3.6% |
| 1955 | 32.3% | -1.9% |
| 1956 | 32.8% | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 31.2% | -5.0% |
| 1958 | 30.4% | -2.6% |
| 1959 | 29.7% | -2.1% |
| 1960 | 28.3% | -4.7% |
| 1961 | 28.2% | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 28.4% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 28.2% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 27.9% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 27.6% | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 27.6% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 27.0% | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 26.6% | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 26.8% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 26.8% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 26.5% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 26.2% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 25.8% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 25.5% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 25.2% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 24.5% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 23.6% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 23.2% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 22.6% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 21.5% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 20.4% | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 19.5% | -4.4% |
| 1983 | 18.7% | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 18.1% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 18.0% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 17.7% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 17.1% | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 16.7% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 16.8% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 17.0% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 17.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 17.2% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 17.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 52.9% | +205.2% |
| 1995 | 17.7% | -66.6% |
| 1996 | 16.9% | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 16.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 15.5% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 14.8% | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 14.1% | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | -6.5% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 10.5% | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 9.6% | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 8.4% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 7.8% | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 7.3% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 6.9% | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 6.6% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 5.8% | -12.9% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | -5.1% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 4.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 5.9%, 79% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 4.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.5%, 84% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Rwanda 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +205.2% | 17.3% | 52.9% |
| 1995 | -66.6% | 52.9% | 17.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.1% | 29.7% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 27.7% | 26.6% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.0% | 22.6% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 16.7% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.5% | 15.5% | 52.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.1% | 7.8% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 4.7% | 7.3% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More health data for Rwanda
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.891 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 860.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,738 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9441 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.065 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9697 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Rwanda?
- Child mortality rate in Rwanda was 4.7% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 52.9% in 1994.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2019.
- How does Rwanda rank for child mortality rate?
- Rwanda ranks 40th out of 204 countries with data for 2019.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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
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About this data
Probability of death before the age of five.