Infant mortality rates (Our World) in Kenya
Kenya: Infant mortality rates (Our World) was 2.97 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.97
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
44th
of 236 countries
All-time high
15.42
in 1950
All-time low
2.97
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Infant mortality rates in Kenya, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for infant mortality rates in Kenya is 2.97, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rates in Kenya peaked at 15.42 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.97, in 2023.
That places Kenya 44th 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15.42 | — |
| 1951 | 15.02 | -2.6% |
| 1952 | 14.63 | -2.6% |
| 1953 | 14.22 | -2.8% |
| 1954 | 13.8 | -3.0% |
| 1955 | 13.36 | -3.2% |
| 1956 | 12.91 | -3.3% |
| 1957 | 12.47 | -3.4% |
| 1958 | 12.05 | -3.4% |
| 1959 | 11.65 | -3.3% |
| 1960 | 11.29 | -3.1% |
| 1961 | 10.96 | -2.9% |
| 1962 | 10.66 | -2.7% |
| 1963 | 10.4 | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 10.18 | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 9.99 | -1.9% |
| 1966 | 9.82 | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 9.66 | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 9.51 | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 9.36 | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 9.2 | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 9.03 | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 8.86 | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 8.67 | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 8.47 | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 8.26 | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 8.04 | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 7.83 | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 7.59 | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 7.37 | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 7.17 | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 6.98 | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 6.81 | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 6.67 | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 6.55 | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 6.48 | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 6.45 | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 6.46 | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 6.51 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 6.59 | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 6.7 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 6.82 | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 6.92 | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 7 | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 7.05 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 7.04 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 6.99 | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 6.9 | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 6.76 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 6.56 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 6.33 | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 6.08 | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 5.81 | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 5.52 | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 5.24 | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 4.96 | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 4.7 | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 4.45 | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 4.24 | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 4.05 | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 3.91 | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 3.79 | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 3.69 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 3.61 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 3.53 | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 3.46 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 3.38 | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 3.32 | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 3.25 | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 3.19 | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 3.14 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 3.11 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 3.02 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.97 | -1.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 2.97 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.97, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 2.97 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.74, 79% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.56 | 11.65 | 15.42 | 10 |
| 1960s | 10.18 | 9.36 | 11.29 | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.33 | 7.37 | 9.2 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.67 | 6.45 | 7.17 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.87 | 6.56 | 7.05 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.14 | 4.05 | 6.33 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.51 | 3.19 | 3.91 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.06 | 2.97 | 3.14 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rates in Kenya?
- Infant mortality rates in Kenya was 2.97 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rates recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 15.42 in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rates recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.97 in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for infant mortality rates?
- Kenya ranks 44th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rates rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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).