Child mortality rate in Australia
Australia: Child mortality rate was 0.36 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Child mortality rate in Australia, 1870–2024
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
In 2024, child mortality rate in Australia stood at 0.36 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 155 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Australia peaked at 22.22 deaths per 100 live births in 1875 and was at its lowest, 0.36 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Australia ranks 176th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 18.71 deaths per 100 live births | 15.66 deaths per 100 live births | 22.22 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1880s | 19.26 deaths per 100 live births | 17.91 deaths per 100 live births | 21.47 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1890s | 17.01 deaths per 100 live births | 15.11 deaths per 100 live births | 20.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1900s | 13.17 deaths per 100 live births | 10.02 deaths per 100 live births | 16.97 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1910s | 9.38 deaths per 100 live births | 7.5 deaths per 100 live births | 10.52 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1920s | 7.63 deaths per 100 live births | 6.81 deaths per 100 live births | 9.52 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1930s | 5.44 deaths per 100 live births | 5.05 deaths per 100 live births | 6.38 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.24 deaths per 100 live births | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | 5.25 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.84 deaths per 100 live births | 2.54 deaths per 100 live births | 3.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.29 deaths per 100 live births | 2.17 deaths per 100 live births | 2.49 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.77 deaths per 100 live births | 1.36 deaths per 100 live births | 2.15 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.14 deaths per 100 live births | 0.97 deaths per 100 live births | 1.3 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.742 deaths per 100 live births | 0.63 deaths per 100 live births | 0.92 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.569 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5 deaths per 100 live births | 0.62 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.408 deaths per 100 live births | 0.38 deaths per 100 live births | 0.48 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.37 deaths per 100 live births | 0.36 deaths per 100 live births | 0.38 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 173 Belgium 0.37 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 173 Germany 0.37 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 173 Hungary 0.37 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 177 Lithuania 0.34 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 178 Austria 0.33 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 178 Israel 0.33 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Australia
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 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 178,762 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 168,402 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 173,667 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 163,850 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 166,847 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 158,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Australia?
- Child mortality rate in Australia was 0.36 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.22 deaths per 100 live births in 1875.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.36 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Australia rank for child mortality rate?
- Australia ranks 176th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia 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
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About this data
The long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.