Infant mortality rate in Barbados
Barbados: Infant mortality rate was 0.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.9%
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
129th
of 236 countries
All-time high
14.7%
in 1950
All-time low
0.9%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Infant mortality rate in Barbados, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of infants.
Analysis
The most recent figure for infant mortality rate in Barbados is 0.9%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Barbados peaked at 14.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2023.
Barbados ranks 129th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Infant mortality rate in Barbados, year by year
| Year | % of infants | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 14.7% | — |
| 1951 | 14.0% | -4.7% |
| 1952 | 13.3% | -4.8% |
| 1953 | 12.6% | -5.3% |
| 1954 | 11.8% | -6.0% |
| 1955 | 11.1% | -6.2% |
| 1956 | 10.2% | -8.2% |
| 1957 | 9.4% | -8.0% |
| 1958 | 8.6% | -8.1% |
| 1959 | 7.9% | -7.9% |
| 1960 | 7.3% | -7.8% |
| 1961 | 6.8% | -7.2% |
| 1962 | 6.3% | -6.5% |
| 1963 | 6.0% | -5.9% |
| 1964 | 5.6% | -5.6% |
| 1965 | 5.3% | -5.3% |
| 1966 | 5.1% | -5.1% |
| 1967 | 4.8% | -4.8% |
| 1968 | 4.6% | -4.6% |
| 1969 | 4.4% | -4.7% |
| 1970 | 4.2% | -4.5% |
| 1971 | 4.0% | -5.1% |
| 1972 | 3.8% | -5.0% |
| 1973 | 3.6% | -5.1% |
| 1974 | 3.4% | -5.3% |
| 1975 | 3.2% | -5.4% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 2.9% | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | -5.5% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | -4.1% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | -3.8% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 1.8% | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 1.7% | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | -4.0% |
| 1991 | 1.6% | -4.0% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -3.6% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -3.4% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 0.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 2.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 0.9% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.2%, 79% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.4% | 7.9% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.6% | 4.4% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.5% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 126 Colombia 1.0% compare
- 127 Ecuador 1.0% compare
- 128 El Salvador 1.0% compare
- 130 New Caledonia 0.9% compare
- 131 Falkland Islands 0.9% compare
- 132 Turkey 0.9% compare
More health data for Barbados
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2208 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,453 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5046 % 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 0.0272 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5262 % 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 in Barbados?
- Infant mortality rate in Barbados was 0.9% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2023.
- How does Barbados rank for infant mortality rate?
- Barbados ranks 129th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Barbados data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of newborns who die before reaching the age of one.