Child mortality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Child mortality rate was 8.97 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Child mortality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1960–2024
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 Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 8.97 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 57 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 28.27 deaths per 100 live births in 1960 and was at its lowest, 8.97 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 8th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 57 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.52 deaths per 100 live births | 24.78 deaths per 100 live births | 28.27 deaths per 100 live births | 2 |
| 1970s | 22.78 deaths per 100 live births | 21.02 deaths per 100 live births | 24.48 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.37 deaths per 100 live births | 18.24 deaths per 100 live births | 20.66 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.5 deaths per 100 live births | 16.94 deaths per 100 live births | 21.04 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.32 deaths per 100 live births | 10.5 deaths per 100 live births | 18.46 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.41 deaths per 100 live births | 9.15 deaths per 100 live births | 10.14 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.18 deaths per 100 live births | 8.97 deaths per 100 live births | 9.29 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 5 South Sudan 9.67 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 6 Guinea 9.21 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 7 Sierra Leone 9.05 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 8 Central African Republic 8.97 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 10 Liberia 8.64 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 11 Burkina Faso 7.49 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 821.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 133,650 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 528 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 528 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 873,860 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 884,406 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 907,255 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 917,495 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 937,176 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 946,859 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Child mortality rate in Democratic Republic of Congo was 8.97 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 28.27 deaths per 100 live births in 1960.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.97 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for child mortality rate?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 8th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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
The long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.