What is child mortality rate in South Korea?

Child mortality rate in South Korea was 0.28 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 South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 36.94 deaths per 100 live births in 1950.

What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.28 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.

How does South Korea rank for child mortality rate?

South Korea ranks 182nd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.

Is child mortality rate rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this South Korea 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.

Child mortality rate in South Korea

Name: Child mortality rate in South Korea
Creator: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Korea: Child mortality rate was 0.28 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

0.28 deaths per 100 live births

Change on year

down 3.4%

World rank

182nd

of 200 countries

All-time high

36.94 deaths per 100 live births

in 1950

All-time low

0.28 deaths per 100 live births

in 2024

Years of data

1950–2024

Child mortality rate in South Korea, 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

The most recent figure for child mortality rate in South Korea is 0.28 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality rate in South Korea peaked at 36.94 deaths per 100 live births in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.28 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.

South Korea ranks 182nd of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	20.86 deaths per 100 live births	11.97 deaths per 100 live births	36.94 deaths per 100 live births	10
1960s	8.95 deaths per 100 live births	6.6 deaths per 100 live births	11.29 deaths per 100 live births	10
1970s	4.83 deaths per 100 live births	3.85 deaths per 100 live births	6.14 deaths per 100 live births	10
1980s	2.61 deaths per 100 live births	1.71 deaths per 100 live births	3.63 deaths per 100 live births	10
1990s	1.13 deaths per 100 live births	0.8 deaths per 100 live births	1.57 deaths per 100 live births	10
2000s	0.584 deaths per 100 live births	0.43 deaths per 100 live births	0.76 deaths per 100 live births	10
2010s	0.357 deaths per 100 live births	0.31 deaths per 100 live births	0.41 deaths per 100 live births	10
2020s	0.294 deaths per 100 live births	0.28 deaths per 100 live births	0.31 deaths per 100 live births	5

Countries ranked near South Korea

180 Portugal 0.32 deaths per 100 live births compare
180 Spain 0.32 deaths per 100 live births compare
182 Iceland 0.28 deaths per 100 live births compare
182 North Macedonia 0.28 deaths per 100 live births compare
185 Italy 0.27 deaths per 100 live births compare
185 Monaco 0.27 deaths per 100 live births compare
185 Singapore 0.27 deaths per 100 live births compare

See the full ranking of 200 places →

More health data for South Korea

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,072 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 343,093 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 314,477 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 328,684 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 299,106 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 295,765 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 267,725 (2025)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality rate in South Korea?: Child mortality rate in South Korea was 0.28 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 South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 36.94 deaths per 100 live births in 1950.
What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.28 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
How does South Korea rank for child mortality rate?: South Korea ranks 182nd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
Is child mortality rate rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Child mortality rate
Unit: deaths per 100 live births
Source: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 200 places, 16,161 data points, 1751–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.