Infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana
Botswana: Infant mortality rate by sex was 2.85 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.85 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
41st
of 199 countries
All-time high
12.34 deaths per 100 live births
in 1954
All-time low
2.85 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
71
1954–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana, 1954–2024
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
In 2024, infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana stood at 2.85 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 71 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana peaked at 12.34 deaths per 100 live births in 1954 and was at its lowest, 2.85 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Botswana ranks 41st of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 71 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 12.34 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1955 | 12.05 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1956 | 11.75 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1957 | 11.51 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 11.27 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1959 | 11.02 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 10.78 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1961 | 10.55 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1962 | 10.33 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 10.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 9.88 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1965 | 9.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 9.48 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 9.3 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 9.08 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 8.86 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 8.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 8.35 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 8.07 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 7.78 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1974 | 7.45 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 7.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1976 | 6.74 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1977 | 6.36 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 6 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1979 | 5.65 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1980 | 5.32 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 4.77 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 1983 | 4.55 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 4.36 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 4.17 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1986 | 3.99 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 3.81 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1988 | 3.66 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1989 | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 3.51 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 3.5 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 3.64 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 3.71 deaths per 100 live births | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 3.59 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 3.6 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 3.58 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 3.53 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 3.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.47 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.53 deaths per 100 live births | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 3.69 deaths per 100 live births | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 3.92 deaths per 100 live births | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 3.89 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 4.09 deaths per 100 live births | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 4.51 deaths per 100 live births | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 4.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 4.78 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 4.44 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 2013 | 4.2 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 4.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.94 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 3.83 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 3.58 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 3.44 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 3.34 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 3.25 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 3.14 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 3.04 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 2.94 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 2.85 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 2.85 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.03 deaths per 100 live births, 2.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 2.85 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.31 deaths per 100 live births, 86% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.66 deaths per 100 live births | 11.02 deaths per 100 live births | 12.34 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1960s | 9.81 deaths per 100 live births | 8.86 deaths per 100 live births | 10.78 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.21 deaths per 100 live births | 5.65 deaths per 100 live births | 8.61 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.32 deaths per 100 live births | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | 5.32 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.58 deaths per 100 live births | 3.5 deaths per 100 live births | 3.71 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4 deaths per 100 live births | 3.47 deaths per 100 live births | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.06 deaths per 100 live births | 3.34 deaths per 100 live births | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.04 deaths per 100 live births | 2.85 deaths per 100 live births | 3.25 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 38 Yemen 3.03 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 39 Myanmar 2.92 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 40 Ethiopia 2.91 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 42 Papua New Guinea 2.85 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 43 Gambia 2.85 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 44 Angola 2.83 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Botswana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.75 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,150 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 281 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6484 % 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 0.0579 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9109 % 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 infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Botswana was 2.85 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 Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 12.34 deaths per 100 live births in 1954.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.85 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Botswana rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Botswana ranks 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 71 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths of female children aged under one year, per 100 live births .