Child mortality rate in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Child mortality rate was 5.3 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.3 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
26th
of 200 countries
All-time high
36.82 deaths per 100 live births
in 1957
All-time low
5.3 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
68
1957–2024
Child mortality rate in Afghanistan, 1957–2024
Source: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for child mortality rate in Afghanistan is 5.3 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 68 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.5% on the previous year and down 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Afghanistan peaked at 36.82 deaths per 100 live births in 1957 and was at its lowest, 5.3 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Afghanistan 26th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, 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 Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 36.82 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1958 | 36.21 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1959 | 35.64 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 35.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1961 | 34.52 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1962 | 34.02 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 33.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1964 | 32.97 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 32.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 31.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 31.48 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1968 | 31 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 30.49 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 30 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 34.43 deaths per 100 live births | +14.8% |
| 1972 | 33.79 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 28.47 deaths per 100 live births | -15.7% |
| 1974 | 27.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 27.42 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 26.86 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1977 | 26.29 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 25.69 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 25.11 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1980 | 24.52 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 23.9 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 27.7 deaths per 100 live births | +15.9% |
| 1983 | 27.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 30.38 deaths per 100 live births | +12.0% |
| 1985 | 29.6 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 25.05 deaths per 100 live births | -15.4% |
| 1987 | 24.42 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 19.43 deaths per 100 live births | -20.4% |
| 1989 | 18.78 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 18.14 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 17.52 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 16.91 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 16.35 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 15.83 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 15.34 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 14.88 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 14.44 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 14.02 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 13.6 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 13.17 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 12.75 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 12.31 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 11.85 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 11.39 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 10.93 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 10.48 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 10.04 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 9.61 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 9.19 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 8.8 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 8.43 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 8.08 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 7.76 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 7.46 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 7.19 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 6.94 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 6.48 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 6.07 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 5.87 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 5.49 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 5.3 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 5.3 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.16 deaths per 100 live births, 86% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 5.3 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.29 deaths per 100 live births, 4.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 36.22 deaths per 100 live births | 35.64 deaths per 100 live births | 36.82 deaths per 100 live births | 3 |
| 1960s | 32.74 deaths per 100 live births | 30.49 deaths per 100 live births | 35.06 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 28.6 deaths per 100 live births | 25.11 deaths per 100 live births | 34.43 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.09 deaths per 100 live births | 18.78 deaths per 100 live births | 30.38 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.7 deaths per 100 live births | 13.6 deaths per 100 live births | 18.14 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.17 deaths per 100 live births | 9.19 deaths per 100 live births | 13.17 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.41 deaths per 100 live births | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | 8.8 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | 5.3 deaths per 100 live births | 6.07 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 23 Togo 5.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 24 Pakistan 5.6 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 25 Kiribati 5.31 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 27 Haiti 5.28 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 28 Angola 4.9 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 29 Djibouti 4.89 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 812.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Afghanistan?
- Child mortality rate in Afghanistan was 5.3 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 36.82 deaths per 100 live births in 1957.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for child mortality rate?
- Afghanistan ranks 26th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – 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 — 68 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.