Child mortality rate in Eritrea
Eritrea: Child mortality rate was 3.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Child mortality rate in Eritrea, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
Eritrea recorded 3.5% for child mortality rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 29.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Eritrea peaked at 37.8% in 1957 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2023.
That places Eritrea 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child mortality rate in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | % of children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 35.1% | — |
| 1951 | 34.6% | -1.5% |
| 1952 | 34.1% | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 33.5% | -1.6% |
| 1954 | 32.9% | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 32.4% | -1.7% |
| 1956 | 31.7% | -2.0% |
| 1957 | 37.8% | +19.1% |
| 1958 | 37.0% | -2.0% |
| 1959 | 29.8% | -19.6% |
| 1960 | 29.1% | -2.3% |
| 1961 | 28.4% | -2.2% |
| 1962 | 27.8% | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 27.2% | -2.2% |
| 1964 | 26.7% | -2.0% |
| 1965 | 26.1% | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 28.1% | +7.7% |
| 1967 | 25.2% | -10.5% |
| 1968 | 24.7% | -1.9% |
| 1969 | 24.2% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 23.7% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 23.3% | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 24.0% | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 23.5% | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 25.3% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 24.8% | -2.1% |
| 1976 | 20.9% | -15.7% |
| 1977 | 20.5% | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 20.1% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 19.8% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 19.4% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 19.1% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 18.8% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 27.3% | +45.5% |
| 1984 | 26.8% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 25.9% | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 25.3% | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 16.9% | -33.1% |
| 1988 | 16.4% | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 16.3% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 15.2% | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 14.5% | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | -5.2% |
| 1993 | 13.0% | -5.3% |
| 1994 | 12.2% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 11.5% | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 10.8% | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 10.2% | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 9.6% | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 10.9% | +13.7% |
| 2000 | 9.1% | -16.6% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -10.2% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 7.1% | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 5.8% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 5.3% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 4.6% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 3.9% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -3.4% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 3.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.4%, 55% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 3.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.0%, 71% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Eritrea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +45.5% | 18.8% | 27.3% |
| 1987 | -33.1% | 25.3% | 16.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.9% | 29.8% | 37.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 26.8% | 24.2% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.6% | 19.8% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.2% | 16.3% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.2% | 9.6% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.1% | 5.8% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
More health data for Eritrea
- 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 1.2 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 425 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0652 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0668 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Eritrea?
- Child mortality rate in Eritrea was 3.5% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 37.8% in 1957.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2023.
- How does Eritrea rank for child mortality rate?
- Eritrea ranks 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eritrea data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – 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
Share of children who die before reaching the age of 5.