Child mortality rate in India
India: Child mortality rate was 2.66 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Child mortality rate in India, 1911–2024
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 India stood at 2.66 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 42.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in India peaked at 43.36 deaths per 100 live births in 1918 and was at its lowest, 2.66 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places India 63rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 34.68 deaths per 100 live births | 31.71 deaths per 100 live births | 43.36 deaths per 100 live births | 9 |
| 1920s | 29.49 deaths per 100 live births | 27.16 deaths per 100 live births | 32.2 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1930s | 27.6 deaths per 100 live births | 25.32 deaths per 100 live births | 30.41 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1940s | 26.16 deaths per 100 live births | 24.43 deaths per 100 live births | 27.47 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1950s | 25.76 deaths per 100 live births | 24.48 deaths per 100 live births | 26.82 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1960s | 22.87 deaths per 100 live births | 21.71 deaths per 100 live births | 24.13 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.68 deaths per 100 live births | 17.52 deaths per 100 live births | 21.44 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.94 deaths per 100 live births | 13.09 deaths per 100 live births | 16.98 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.13 deaths per 100 live births | 9.54 deaths per 100 live births | 12.7 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.62 deaths per 100 live births | 6.12 deaths per 100 live births | 9.18 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.56 deaths per 100 live births | 3.49 deaths per 100 live births | 5.81 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | 2.66 deaths per 100 live births | 3.3 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 60 Fiji 2.91 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 61 Tajikistan 2.81 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 62 Marshall Islands 2.67 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 64 Philippines 2.65 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 65 Guyana 2.52 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 66 Nepal 2.51 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for India
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 76 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 76 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 13.43 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 12.16 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 13.62 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 12.35 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 13.69 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 12.44 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in India?
- Child mortality rate in India was 2.66 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 43.36 deaths per 100 live births in 1918.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.66 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does India rank for child mortality rate?
- India ranks 63rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.