Infant mortality rate in China
China: Infant mortality rate was 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.4079 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
161st
of 199 countries
All-time high
8.88 deaths per 100 live births
in 1969
All-time low
0.4079 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
56
1969–2024
Infant mortality rate in China, 1969–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
China recorded 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births for infant mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 54.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in China peaked at 8.88 deaths per 100 live births in 1969 and was at its lowest, 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places China 161st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Infant mortality rate in China, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 8.88 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1970 | 8.46 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1971 | 8.05 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1972 | 7.66 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 7.26 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1974 | 6.86 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1975 | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 6.09 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1977 | 5.73 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1978 | 5.41 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1980 | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 4.68 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1982 | 4.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 4.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 4.3 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 4.32 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 4.34 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 4.3 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 4.23 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 4.13 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 4.01 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 3.72 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 3.38 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 3.19 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 2.99 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2001 | 2.78 deaths per 100 live births | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 2.56 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2003 | 2.34 deaths per 100 live births | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 2.13 deaths per 100 live births | -8.9% |
| 2005 | 1.94 deaths per 100 live births | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 1.77 deaths per 100 live births | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 1.61 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 1.48 deaths per 100 live births | -8.5% |
| 2009 | 1.35 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 1.14 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 1.05 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 0.9684 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 0.8913 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 0.8209 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 0.7565 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 0.6978 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 0.6446 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 0.5966 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 0.5526 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 0.5122 deaths per 100 live births | -7.3% |
| 2022 | 0.4753 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 0.4399 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2024 | 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births | -7.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.16 deaths per 100 live births, 35% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.39 deaths per 100 live births, 29% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.88 deaths per 100 live births | 8.88 deaths per 100 live births | 8.88 deaths per 100 live births | 1 |
| 1970s | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | 8.46 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.44 deaths per 100 live births | 4.3 deaths per 100 live births | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | 3.19 deaths per 100 live births | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1 deaths per 100 live births | 1.35 deaths per 100 live births | 2.99 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8818 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5966 deaths per 100 live births | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4776 deaths per 100 live births | 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births | 0.5526 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 158 Russia 0.4132 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 159 Croatia 0.4121 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 160 Cyprus 0.4106 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 162 New Zealand 0.4022 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 163 United Arab Emirates 0.3781 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 164 Poland 0.3612 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % 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 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % 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 China?
- Infant mortality rate in China was 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 8.88 deaths per 100 live births in 1969.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4079 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does China rank for infant mortality rate?
- China ranks 161st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – 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 — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under one year, per 100 live births .