Infant mortality rates (Our World) in Zambia
Zambia: Infant mortality rates (Our World) was 3.82 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.82
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
27th
of 236 countries
All-time high
12.62
in 1950
All-time low
3.82
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Infant mortality rates in Zambia, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 3.82 for infant mortality rates in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rates in Zambia peaked at 12.62 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 3.82, in 2023.
Zambia ranks 27th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.62 | — |
| 1951 | 12.48 | -1.1% |
| 1952 | 12.35 | -1.1% |
| 1953 | 12.21 | -1.1% |
| 1954 | 12.08 | -1.1% |
| 1955 | 11.95 | -1.1% |
| 1956 | 11.82 | -1.1% |
| 1957 | 11.68 | -1.1% |
| 1958 | 11.54 | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 11.4 | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 11.27 | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 11.15 | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 11.03 | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 10.93 | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 10.91 | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 10.76 | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 10.68 | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 10.59 | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 10.49 | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 10.37 | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 10.23 | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 10.06 | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 9.88 | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 9.7 | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 9.54 | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 9.41 | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 9.32 | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 9.28 | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 9.27 | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 9.28 | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 9.32 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 9.38 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 9.46 | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 9.56 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 9.68 | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 9.82 | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 9.96 | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 10.09 | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 10.2 | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 10.29 | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 10.36 | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 10.4 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 10.38 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 10.31 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 10.21 | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 10.11 | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 9.97 | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 9.81 | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 9.61 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 9.38 | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 9.07 | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 8.7 | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 8.27 | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 7.82 | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 7.37 | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 6.93 | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 6.54 | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 6.19 | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 5.88 | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 5.62 | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 5.4 | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 5.22 | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 5.05 | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 4.91 | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 4.77 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 4.67 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 4.56 | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 4.46 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 4.35 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 4.25 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 4.14 | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 4.03 | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 3.93 | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 3.82 | -2.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3.82 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.97, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3.82 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.74, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.01 | 11.4 | 12.62 | 10 |
| 1960s | 10.82 | 10.37 | 11.27 | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.6 | 9.27 | 10.23 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.78 | 9.32 | 10.29 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.05 | 9.38 | 10.4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.24 | 5.62 | 9.07 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.76 | 4.25 | 5.4 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.98 | 3.82 | 4.14 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % 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 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % 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 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rates in Zambia?
- Infant mortality rates in Zambia was 3.82 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rates recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.62 in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rates recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.82 in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for infant mortality rates?
- Zambia ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rates rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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
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