Infant mortality rate in South Korea
South Korea: Infant mortality rate was 0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Infant mortality rate in South Korea, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of infants.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 0.2% for infant mortality rate 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 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in South Korea peaked at 17.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 222nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.3% | 8.3% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.3% | 4.9% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.7% | 2.9% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More health data for South Korea
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,072 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 343,093 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 314,477 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 328,684 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 299,106 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 295,765 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 267,725 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate in South Korea?
- Infant mortality rate in South Korea was 0.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for infant mortality rate?
- South Korea ranks 222nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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
The share of newborns who die before reaching the age of one.