Infant mortality rate by sex in Australia
Australia: Infant mortality rate by sex was 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.2832 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
173rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
2.2 deaths per 100 live births
in 1950
All-time low
0.2832 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Australia, 1950–2024
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
Australia recorded 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births for infant mortality rate by sex in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Australia peaked at 2.2 deaths per 100 live births in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Australia 173rd out of 199 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.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Australia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.2 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1951 | 2.17 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1952 | 2.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1953 | 2.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1954 | 2.03 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1955 | 1.99 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1956 | 1.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1957 | 1.91 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1958 | 1.87 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1959 | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 1.79 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1961 | 1.75 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 1.71 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 1.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 1.65 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 1.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 1.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1967 | 1.59 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 1.59 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 1.57 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 1.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 1.52 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 1.46 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 1.4 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1974 | 1.33 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1975 | 1.25 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 1.18 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1977 | 1.11 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 1978 | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 0.9921 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 0.9474 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 0.9126 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 0.8845 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 0.8621 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 0.8381 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1985 | 0.8169 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 0.7909 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 0.7639 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 0.7346 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 0.7009 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 0.6629 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 0.6251 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1992 | 0.5867 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 0.5577 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1994 | 0.5306 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 0.5093 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 0.4928 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 0.4831 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 0.4722 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 0.4635 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 0.4557 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 0.4479 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.4435 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 0.4389 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.4345 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.4277 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 0.4174 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 0.4064 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.3913 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 0.3754 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 0.3588 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 0.3438 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 0.3299 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 0.3178 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3078 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 0.3005 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 0.2961 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.2942 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.2935 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.2938 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.294 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.2931 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 0.2911 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 0.2873 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.3234 deaths per 100 live births, 88% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Australia's 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.26 deaths per 100 live births, 22% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.02 deaths per 100 live births | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | 2.2 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.66 deaths per 100 live births | 1.57 deaths per 100 live births | 1.79 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.28 deaths per 100 live births | 0.9921 deaths per 100 live births | 1.55 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8252 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7009 deaths per 100 live births | 0.9474 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5384 deaths per 100 live births | 0.4635 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6629 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4239 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3754 deaths per 100 live births | 0.4557 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3136 deaths per 100 live births | 0.2935 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3588 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2897 deaths per 100 live births | 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births | 0.294 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 170 Greece 0.2955 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 171 Germany 0.2893 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 172 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.2889 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 174 Belgium 0.279 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 175 Hungary 0.2751 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 176 Lithuania 0.2598 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2021)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.45 % 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 0.0279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0295 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate by sex in Australia?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Australia was 0.2832 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2 deaths per 100 live births in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2832 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Australia rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Australia ranks 173rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia 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 .