Infant mortality rate by sex in China
China: Infant mortality rate by sex was 0.3863 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Infant mortality rate by sex in China, 1969–2024
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 China stood at 0.3863 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 53.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in China peaked at 8.44 deaths per 100 live births in 1969 and was at its lowest, 0.3863 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places China 157th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | 8.44 deaths per 100 live births | 1 |
| 1970s | 6.33 deaths per 100 live births | 4.81 deaths per 100 live births | 8.02 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.18 deaths per 100 live births | 4.04 deaths per 100 live births | 4.58 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.64 deaths per 100 live births | 3 deaths per 100 live births | 4.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.96 deaths per 100 live births | 1.26 deaths per 100 live births | 2.81 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8251 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5625 deaths per 100 live births | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4514 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3863 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5207 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 154 Canada 0.4322 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 155 Bulgaria 0.4223 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 156 Serbia 0.4056 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 158 Cyprus 0.3777 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 159 Croatia 0.3751 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 160 New Zealand 0.3703 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for China
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 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 8.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 7.51 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 8.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 7.46 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 8.44 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 7.21 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate by sex in China?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in China was 0.3863 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 8.44 deaths per 100 live births in 1969.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3863 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does China rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- China ranks 157th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The estimated number of deaths of female children aged under one year, per 100 live births .