Child mortality rate in India
India: Child mortality rate was 2.66 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.66 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
63rd
of 200 countries
All-time high
43.36 deaths per 100 live births
in 1918
All-time low
2.66 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
108
1911–2024
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.
Child mortality rate in India, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 33.34 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1912 | 33.83 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1913 | 31.71 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1914 | 34.47 deaths per 100 live births | +8.7% |
| 1915 | 32.85 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1916 | 32.85 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 33.34 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1918 | 43.36 deaths per 100 live births | +30.1% |
| 1919 | 36.41 deaths per 100 live births | -16.0% |
| 1920 | 31.71 deaths per 100 live births | -12.9% |
| 1921 | 32.2 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1922 | 28.44 deaths per 100 live births | -11.7% |
| 1923 | 28.6 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 1924 | 30.73 deaths per 100 live births | +7.4% |
| 1925 | 28.27 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 1926 | 30.73 deaths per 100 live births | +8.7% |
| 1927 | 27.16 deaths per 100 live births | -11.6% |
| 1928 | 28.11 deaths per 100 live births | +3.5% |
| 1929 | 28.93 deaths per 100 live births | +2.9% |
| 1930 | 29.42 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 1931 | 29.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1932 | 27.47 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1933 | 27.78 deaths per 100 live births | +1.1% |
| 1934 | 30.41 deaths per 100 live births | +9.5% |
| 1935 | 26.68 deaths per 100 live births | -12.3% |
| 1936 | 26.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1937 | 26.35 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 27.16 deaths per 100 live births | +3.1% |
| 1939 | 25.32 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 1940 | 26.02 deaths per 100 live births | +2.8% |
| 1941 | 25.67 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1942 | 26.52 deaths per 100 live births | +3.3% |
| 1943 | 26.85 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 1944 | 27.47 deaths per 100 live births | +2.3% |
| 1945 | 24.43 deaths per 100 live births | -11.1% |
| 1950 | 26.68 deaths per 100 live births | +9.2% |
| 1953 | 26.82 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1954 | 26.42 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1955 | 26 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1956 | 25.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1957 | 25.22 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1958 | 24.84 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1959 | 24.48 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1960 | 24.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1961 | 23.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 23.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 23.22 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 22.96 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 22.7 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 22.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1967 | 22.21 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 21.97 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 21.71 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 21.44 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 21.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 20.82 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 20.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 20.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 19.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 19.13 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 18.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 18.07 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1979 | 17.52 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 16.98 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 16.46 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 15.98 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 15.52 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 15.1 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 14.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 14.28 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 13.88 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 13.48 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 13.09 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 12.7 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 12.34 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 11.99 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 11.65 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 11.31 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 10.97 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 10.62 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 10.27 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1998 | 9.91 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 9.54 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 9.18 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 8.81 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 8.46 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 8.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 7.77 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 7.43 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 7.1 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 6.78 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 6.45 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 6.12 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 5.81 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 5.5 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 5.2 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.91 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 4.64 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 4.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 4.13 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 3.9 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 3.69 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 3.49 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 3.3 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 3.12 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 2.95 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2023 | 2.8 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 2.66 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 2.66 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.69 deaths per 100 live births, 72% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 2.66 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.11 deaths per 100 live births, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in India 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | +30.1% | 33.34 deaths per 100 live births | 43.36 deaths per 100 live births |
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
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- 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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % 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 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % 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 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
Long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.