Child mortality rate in Eswatini
Eswatini: Child mortality rate was 5.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
5.0%
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
30th
of 236 countries
All-time high
23.9%
in 1950
All-time low
5.0%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Child mortality rate in Eswatini, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children.
Analysis
In 2023, child mortality rate in Eswatini stood at 5.0%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Eswatini peaked at 23.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2023.
That places Eswatini 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % of children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 23.9% | — |
| 1951 | 23.6% | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 23.3% | -1.2% |
| 1953 | 23.0% | -1.3% |
| 1954 | 22.7% | -1.3% |
| 1955 | 22.4% | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 22.1% | -1.4% |
| 1957 | 21.8% | -1.4% |
| 1958 | 21.5% | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 21.1% | -1.5% |
| 1960 | 20.8% | -1.5% |
| 1961 | 20.5% | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 20.1% | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 19.8% | -1.8% |
| 1964 | 19.4% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 19.0% | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 18.6% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 18.2% | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 17.7% | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 17.3% | -2.5% |
| 1970 | 16.8% | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 16.3% | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 15.8% | -3.2% |
| 1973 | 15.3% | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 14.7% | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 14.1% | -3.9% |
| 1976 | 13.5% | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 12.9% | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 12.4% | -4.4% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | -4.6% |
| 1980 | 11.3% | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 10.8% | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 10.2% | -5.1% |
| 1983 | 10.8% | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 9.2% | -14.7% |
| 1985 | 8.7% | -6.0% |
| 1986 | 8.2% | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 7.8% | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 7.5% | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 7.3% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 7.2% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 7.2% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 7.3% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 7.6% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 8.0% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | +6.5% |
| 1996 | 9.2% | +7.7% |
| 1997 | 9.7% | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 10.3% | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 10.8% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 11.2% | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 11.6% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 11.7% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 11.7% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 11.4% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 11.0% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 10.5% | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 9.9% | -5.7% |
| 2009 | 9.3% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 8.0% | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | -7.0% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 6.4% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 5.8% | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 5.1% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -2.9% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 5.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.9%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 5.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.0%, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.5% | 21.1% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.1% | 17.3% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.4% | 11.8% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.2% | 7.3% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 7.2% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 9.3% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.8% | 5.6% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.2% | 5.0% | 5.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More health data for Eswatini
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.9 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6228 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 206 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.6874 % 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 0.0553 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5455 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0566 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Eswatini?
- Child mortality rate in Eswatini was 5.0% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 23.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2023.
- How does Eswatini rank for child mortality rate?
- Eswatini ranks 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.