Child mortality rate in Japan
Japan: Child mortality rate was 0.24 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.24 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
192nd
of 200 countries
All-time high
28.6 deaths per 100 live births
in 1921
All-time low
0.24 deaths per 100 live births
in 2020
Years of data
102
1920–2024
Child mortality rate in Japan, 1920–2024
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 Japan stood at 0.24 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 102 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Japan peaked at 28.6 deaths per 100 live births in 1921 and was at its lowest, 0.24 deaths per 100 live births, in 2020.
That places Japan 192nd 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 27 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1921 | 28.6 deaths per 100 live births | +5.9% |
| 1922 | 27 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1923 | 26.52 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1924 | 25.32 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1925 | 22.78 deaths per 100 live births | -10.0% |
| 1926 | 21.85 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1927 | 22.78 deaths per 100 live births | +4.3% |
| 1928 | 22.03 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1929 | 22.78 deaths per 100 live births | +3.4% |
| 1930 | 19.6 deaths per 100 live births | -14.0% |
| 1931 | 20.91 deaths per 100 live births | +6.7% |
| 1932 | 18.28 deaths per 100 live births | -12.6% |
| 1933 | 19.03 deaths per 100 live births | +4.1% |
| 1934 | 19.6 deaths per 100 live births | +3.0% |
| 1935 | 16.22 deaths per 100 live births | -17.2% |
| 1936 | 18.09 deaths per 100 live births | +11.5% |
| 1937 | 16.04 deaths per 100 live births | -11.3% |
| 1938 | 17.72 deaths per 100 live births | +10.5% |
| 1939 | 16.22 deaths per 100 live births | -8.5% |
| 1940 | 13.12 deaths per 100 live births | -19.1% |
| 1941 | 12.06 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 1942 | 12.41 deaths per 100 live births | +2.9% |
| 1943 | 12.59 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 1947 | 14.76 deaths per 100 live births | +17.2% |
| 1948 | 9.92 deaths per 100 live births | -32.8% |
| 1949 | 10.14 deaths per 100 live births | +2.2% |
| 1950 | 9.15 deaths per 100 live births | -9.8% |
| 1951 | 8.27 deaths per 100 live births | -9.6% |
| 1952 | 7.49 deaths per 100 live births | -9.4% |
| 1953 | 6.83 deaths per 100 live births | -8.8% |
| 1954 | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 1955 | 5.8 deaths per 100 live births | -7.5% |
| 1956 | 5.4 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 1957 | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 1958 | 4.68 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 1959 | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | -7.5% |
| 1960 | 3.98 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 1961 | 3.63 deaths per 100 live births | -8.8% |
| 1962 | 3.29 deaths per 100 live births | -9.4% |
| 1963 | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | -9.7% |
| 1964 | 2.7 deaths per 100 live births | -9.1% |
| 1965 | 2.46 deaths per 100 live births | -8.9% |
| 1966 | 2.26 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 1967 | 2.1 deaths per 100 live births | -7.1% |
| 1968 | 1.96 deaths per 100 live births | -6.7% |
| 1969 | 1.85 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1970 | 1.75 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1971 | 1.65 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1972 | 1.57 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 1.49 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 1974 | 1.41 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1975 | 1.33 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 1.25 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1977 | 1.18 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 1.11 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1979 | 1.05 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 0.99 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 0.93 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 1982 | 0.88 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1983 | 0.83 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1984 | 0.79 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 0.75 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 1986 | 0.71 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1987 | 0.68 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1988 | 0.66 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 0.64 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 0.63 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 0.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 0.61 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 0.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 0.59 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 0.57 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 0.55 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 0.52 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 0.5 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 0.47 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 0.45 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 0.43 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 0.41 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 0.4 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 0.39 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 0.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 0.36 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 0.35 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.34 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 0.34 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.33 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.33 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.31 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 0.3 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.29 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 0.28 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 0.27 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 0.26 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 0.25 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 0.25 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 0.24 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.47 deaths per 100 live births, 51% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Japan's 0.24 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.72 deaths per 100 live births, 14% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | -32.8% | 14.76 deaths per 100 live births | 9.92 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 24.67 deaths per 100 live births | 21.85 deaths per 100 live births | 28.6 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1930s | 18.17 deaths per 100 live births | 16.04 deaths per 100 live births | 20.91 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1940s | 12.14 deaths per 100 live births | 9.92 deaths per 100 live births | 14.76 deaths per 100 live births | 7 |
| 1950s | 6.33 deaths per 100 live births | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | 9.15 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.72 deaths per 100 live births | 1.85 deaths per 100 live births | 3.98 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.38 deaths per 100 live births | 1.05 deaths per 100 live births | 1.75 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.786 deaths per 100 live births | 0.64 deaths per 100 live births | 0.99 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.566 deaths per 100 live births | 0.47 deaths per 100 live births | 0.63 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.384 deaths per 100 live births | 0.34 deaths per 100 live births | 0.45 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.287 deaths per 100 live births | 0.25 deaths per 100 live births | 0.33 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | 0.24 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 189 Andorra 0.25 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 189 Latvia 0.25 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 189 Norway 0.25 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 192 Finland 0.24 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 192 Montenegro 0.24 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 192 Sweden 0.24 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Japan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.73 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2774 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.22 % 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 0.0155 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.36 % 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 Japan?
- Child mortality rate in Japan was 0.24 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 28.6 deaths per 100 live births in 1921.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.24 deaths per 100 live births in 2020.
- How does Japan rank for child mortality rate?
- Japan ranks 192nd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.