Infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia
Somalia: Infant mortality rate by sex was 6 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
4th
of 199 countries
All-time high
21.6 deaths per 100 live births
in 1992
All-time low
6 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
42
1983–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia, 1983–2024
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
The most recent figure for infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia is 6 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia peaked at 21.6 deaths per 100 live births in 1992 and was at its lowest, 6 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Somalia ranks 4th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 9.96 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1984 | 9.96 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 9.95 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 10 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 10.02 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 10.03 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 10 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 20.9 deaths per 100 live births | +111.1% |
| 1992 | 21.6 deaths per 100 live births | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 21.13 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 9.68 deaths per 100 live births | -54.2% |
| 1995 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 9.68 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 9.71 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 9.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 9.65 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 9.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 9.37 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 9.16 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 10.57 deaths per 100 live births | +15.4% |
| 2011 | 21.07 deaths per 100 live births | +99.4% |
| 2012 | 10.57 deaths per 100 live births | -49.9% |
| 2013 | 8.18 deaths per 100 live births | -22.6% |
| 2014 | 7.95 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 7.73 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 7.51 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 9.04 deaths per 100 live births | +20.3% |
| 2018 | 7.91 deaths per 100 live births | -12.6% |
| 2019 | 6.89 deaths per 100 live births | -12.9% |
| 2020 | 6.72 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 6.51 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 8.35 deaths per 100 live births | +28.3% |
| 2023 | 6.16 deaths per 100 live births | -26.3% |
| 2024 | 6 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 6 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.84 deaths per 100 live births, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 6 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.31 deaths per 100 live births, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +111.1% | 9.9 deaths per 100 live births | 20.9 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2011 | +99.4% | 10.57 deaths per 100 live births | 21.07 deaths per 100 live births |
| 1994 | -54.2% | 21.13 deaths per 100 live births | 9.68 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2012 | -49.9% | 21.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10.57 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2022 | +28.3% | 6.51 deaths per 100 live births | 8.35 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2023 | -26.3% | 8.35 deaths per 100 live births | 6.16 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.99 deaths per 100 live births | 9.95 deaths per 100 live births | 10.03 deaths per 100 live births | 7 |
| 1990s | 13.17 deaths per 100 live births | 9.68 deaths per 100 live births | 21.6 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.59 deaths per 100 live births | 9.16 deaths per 100 live births | 9.71 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.74 deaths per 100 live births | 6.89 deaths per 100 live births | 21.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.75 deaths per 100 live births | 6 deaths per 100 live births | 8.35 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 1 South Sudan 6.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 2 Nigeria 6.32 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 3 Niger 6.04 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 5 Liberia 5.65 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 6 Zimbabwe 5.58 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 7 Guinea 5.32 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Somalia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8681 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 32,421 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 182 (2013)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.39 % 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 0.0897 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % 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 0.0926 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Somalia was 6 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.6 deaths per 100 live births in 1992.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Somalia rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Somalia ranks 4th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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 .