Child mortality rate in China
China: Child mortality rate was 0.57 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.57 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 6.6%
World rank
151st
of 200 countries
All-time high
31.71 deaths per 100 live births
in 1950
All-time low
0.57 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
65
1950–2024
Child mortality rate in China, 1950–2024
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 China stood at 0.57 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.6% on the previous year and down 50.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in China peaked at 31.71 deaths per 100 live births in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.57 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places China 151st out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child mortality rate in China, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 31.71 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1955 | 29.1 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 1958 | 23.33 deaths per 100 live births | -19.8% |
| 1959 | 26.85 deaths per 100 live births | +15.1% |
| 1960 | 30.9 deaths per 100 live births | +15.1% |
| 1961 | 26.19 deaths per 100 live births | -15.2% |
| 1962 | 16.78 deaths per 100 live births | -35.9% |
| 1965 | 11.54 deaths per 100 live births | -31.2% |
| 1968 | 13.23 deaths per 100 live births | +14.6% |
| 1969 | 11.8 deaths per 100 live births | -10.8% |
| 1970 | 11.21 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1971 | 10.63 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1972 | 10.08 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1973 | 9.52 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1974 | 8.97 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1975 | 8.43 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 7.91 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 1977 | 7.42 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 1978 | 6.98 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1979 | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 6.26 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 5.99 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1982 | 5.77 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 5.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 5.49 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.42 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 5.39 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 5.38 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 5.39 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 5.38 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 5.36 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 5.3 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 5.21 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 5.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 4.92 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 4.74 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 4.55 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 4.35 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 4.14 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 3.91 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 3.66 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 3.41 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 3.14 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2003 | 2.88 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2004 | 2.63 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 2005 | 2.4 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 2.19 deaths per 100 live births | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 2.01 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 1.85 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 2009 | 1.71 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2010 | 1.57 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 1.46 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 1.35 deaths per 100 live births | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 1.25 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 2015 | 1.07 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 1 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 0.93 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2018 | 0.86 deaths per 100 live births | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 0.8 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 0.75 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 0.7 deaths per 100 live births | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 0.66 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2023 | 0.61 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2024 | 0.57 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.57 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.3 deaths per 100 live births, 44% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.57 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.72 deaths per 100 live births, 33% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | -35.9% | 26.19 deaths per 100 live births | 16.78 deaths per 100 live births |
| 1965 | -31.2% | 16.78 deaths per 100 live births | 11.54 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 27.75 deaths per 100 live births | 23.33 deaths per 100 live births | 31.71 deaths per 100 live births | 4 |
| 1960s | 18.41 deaths per 100 live births | 11.54 deaths per 100 live births | 30.9 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1970s | 8.77 deaths per 100 live births | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | 11.21 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.61 deaths per 100 live births | 5.38 deaths per 100 live births | 6.26 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.76 deaths per 100 live births | 3.91 deaths per 100 live births | 5.36 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.59 deaths per 100 live births | 1.71 deaths per 100 live births | 3.66 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.15 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8 deaths per 100 live births | 1.57 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.658 deaths per 100 live births | 0.57 deaths per 100 live births | 0.75 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 148 Saudi Arabia 0.6 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 149 Qatar 0.59 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 149 Sri Lanka 0.59 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 151 Bulgaria 0.57 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 153 Anguilla 0.56 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 153 Croatia 0.56 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % 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 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in China?
- Child mortality rate in China was 0.57 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 31.71 deaths per 100 live births in 1950.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.57 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does China rank for child mortality rate?
- China ranks 151st out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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.
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About this data
Long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.