Infant mortality rates (Our World) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Infant mortality rates (Our World) was 3.3 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Infant mortality rates in Ethiopia, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 3.3 for infant mortality rates in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rates in Ethiopia peaked at 21.4 in 1957 and was at its lowest, 3.3, in 2023.
That places Ethiopia 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Infant mortality rates (Our World) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 20.01 | — |
| 1951 | 19.72 | -1.5% |
| 1952 | 19.41 | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 19.1 | -1.6% |
| 1954 | 18.78 | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 18.44 | -1.8% |
| 1956 | 18.08 | -1.9% |
| 1957 | 21.4 | +18.3% |
| 1958 | 21.02 | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 16.97 | -19.3% |
| 1960 | 16.59 | -2.2% |
| 1961 | 16.23 | -2.2% |
| 1962 | 15.89 | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 15.58 | -1.9% |
| 1964 | 15.31 | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 15.15 | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 16.22 | +7.1% |
| 1967 | 14.78 | -8.9% |
| 1968 | 14.69 | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 14.63 | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 14.59 | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 14.56 | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 15.18 | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 15.14 | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 16.24 | +7.2% |
| 1975 | 16.22 | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 14.78 | -8.8% |
| 1977 | 14.73 | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 14.66 | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 14.3 | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 14.15 | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 14 | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 13.85 | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 17.87 | +29.1% |
| 1984 | 17.62 | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 17.05 | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 16.72 | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 12.72 | -23.9% |
| 1988 | 12.56 | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 12.34 | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 12.22 | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 11.76 | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 11.42 | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 11.12 | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 10.79 | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 10.46 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 10.11 | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 9.76 | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 9.41 | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 9.11 | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 8.73 | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 8.38 | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 8.02 | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 7.68 | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 7.32 | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 6.98 | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 6.66 | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 6.33 | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 6.02 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 5.74 | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 5.47 | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 5.22 | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 4.99 | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 4.77 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 4.57 | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 4.37 | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 4.2 | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 4.04 | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 3.89 | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 3.76 | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 3.63 | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 3.51 | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 3.4 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 3.3 | -3.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 3.3 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.5, 73% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 3.3 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.74, 88% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Infant mortality rates (Our World) 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 | +29.1% | 13.85 | 17.87 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19.29 | 16.97 | 21.4 | 10 |
| 1960s | 15.51 | 14.63 | 16.59 | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.04 | 14.3 | 16.24 | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.89 | 12.34 | 17.87 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.62 | 9.11 | 12.22 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.19 | 5.74 | 8.73 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.53 | 3.76 | 5.47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.46 | 3.3 | 3.63 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 19,997 (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 rates in Ethiopia?
- Infant mortality rates in Ethiopia was 3.3 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rates recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.4 in 1957.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rates recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3 in 2023.
- How does Ethiopia rank for infant mortality rates?
- Ethiopia ranks 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rates rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality rates. 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).