Infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Infant mortality rate by sex was 2.91 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.91 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 12.2%
World rank
40th
of 199 countries
All-time high
18.06 deaths per 100 live births
in 1983
All-time low
2.91 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
59
1966–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia, 1966–2024
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 Ethiopia stood at 2.91 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 59 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.2% on the previous year and down 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia peaked at 18.06 deaths per 100 live births in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.91 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Ethiopia ranks 40th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 12.92 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1967 | 12.94 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 12.99 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 13.02 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 13.06 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 13.09 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 15.41 deaths per 100 live births | +17.7% |
| 1973 | 15.4 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 15.39 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 15.37 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 13.29 deaths per 100 live births | -13.6% |
| 1977 | 13.31 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 13.3 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 13.26 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 13.2 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 13.1 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 12.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 18.06 deaths per 100 live births | +39.5% |
| 1984 | 17.8 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 17.21 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 16.91 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 12.13 deaths per 100 live births | -28.3% |
| 1988 | 11.9 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 11.65 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 11.39 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 11.1 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 10.79 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 10.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 10.09 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 9.73 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 9.37 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 9.02 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 8.68 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 8.36 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 8.04 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 7.71 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 7.39 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 7.05 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 6.7 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 6.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 6.05 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 5.75 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 5.47 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 5.22 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 4.99 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 4.77 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 4.57 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 4.38 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 4.2 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 4.03 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 3.7 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 3.44 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 3.32 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 4.38 deaths per 100 live births | +32.1% |
| 2022 | 4.25 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 3.31 deaths per 100 live births | -22.2% |
| 2024 | 2.91 deaths per 100 live births | -12.2% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 2.91 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.84 deaths per 100 live births, 76% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 2.91 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.31 deaths per 100 live births, 88% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +39.5% | 12.95 deaths per 100 live births | 18.06 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2021 | +32.1% | 3.32 deaths per 100 live births | 4.38 deaths per 100 live births |
| 1987 | -28.3% | 16.91 deaths per 100 live births | 12.13 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.97 deaths per 100 live births | 12.92 deaths per 100 live births | 13.02 deaths per 100 live births | 4 |
| 1970s | 14.09 deaths per 100 live births | 13.06 deaths per 100 live births | 15.41 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.49 deaths per 100 live births | 11.65 deaths per 100 live births | 18.06 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | 8.36 deaths per 100 live births | 11.39 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.57 deaths per 100 live births | 5.22 deaths per 100 live births | 8.04 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.15 deaths per 100 live births | 3.44 deaths per 100 live births | 4.99 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.63 deaths per 100 live births | 2.91 deaths per 100 live births | 4.38 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 37 Kenya 3.04 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 38 Yemen 3.03 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 39 Myanmar 2.92 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 41 Botswana 2.85 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
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 148 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0709 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0742 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Ethiopia was 2.91 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.06 deaths per 100 live births in 1983.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.91 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Ethiopia rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Ethiopia ranks 40th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 .