Infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Infant mortality rate by sex was 4.45 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
4.45 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
13th
of 199 countries
All-time high
24.93 deaths per 100 live births
in 1957
All-time low
4.45 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
68
1957–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan, 1957–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 4.45 deaths per 100 live births for infant mortality rate by sex in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 68 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan peaked at 24.93 deaths per 100 live births in 1957 and was at its lowest, 4.45 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Afghanistan ranks 13th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 68 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 24.93 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1958 | 24.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1959 | 24.31 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 24.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1961 | 23.71 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 23.44 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 23.16 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 22.91 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 22.66 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 22.4 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1967 | 22.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 21.88 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 21.61 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 21.34 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 23.85 deaths per 100 live births | +11.8% |
| 1972 | 23.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 20.49 deaths per 100 live births | -12.8% |
| 1974 | 20.18 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 19.85 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 19.51 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 19.17 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 18.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 18.47 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 18.1 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 17.73 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 19.11 deaths per 100 live births | +7.8% |
| 1983 | 18.73 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 19.89 deaths per 100 live births | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 19.43 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 17.42 deaths per 100 live births | -10.4% |
| 1987 | 17 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 14.83 deaths per 100 live births | -12.8% |
| 1989 | 14.37 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 13.92 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 13.48 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 13.06 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 12.66 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 12.29 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 11.96 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 11.62 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 11.3 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 11.04 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 10.78 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 10.5 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 10.22 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 9.92 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 9.58 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 9.24 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 8.89 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 8.54 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 8.2 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 7.86 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 7.54 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 7.24 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 6.94 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 6.67 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 6.41 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 6.18 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 5.96 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 5.77 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.59 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 5.4 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 5.24 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 5.08 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 4.91 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 4.76 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 4.6 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 4.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 4.45 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.84 deaths per 100 live births, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 4.45 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.08 deaths per 100 live births, 4.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.62 deaths per 100 live births | 24.31 deaths per 100 live births | 24.93 deaths per 100 live births | 3 |
| 1960s | 22.79 deaths per 100 live births | 21.61 deaths per 100 live births | 24.03 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.52 deaths per 100 live births | 18.47 deaths per 100 live births | 23.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.66 deaths per 100 live births | 14.37 deaths per 100 live births | 19.89 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.21 deaths per 100 live births | 10.78 deaths per 100 live births | 13.92 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.05 deaths per 100 live births | 7.54 deaths per 100 live births | 10.5 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.14 deaths per 100 live births | 5.24 deaths per 100 live births | 7.24 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.76 deaths per 100 live births | 4.45 deaths per 100 live births | 5.08 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 10 Democratic Republic of Congo 5.03 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 11 Lesotho 5.03 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 12 Sierra Leone 4.93 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 14 Mali 4.33 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 15 Pakistan 4.28 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 16 Equatorial Guinea 4.26 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0804 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Afghanistan was 4.45 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 24.93 deaths per 100 live births in 1957.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.45 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Afghanistan ranks 13th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality rate by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of female children aged under one year, per 100 live births .