Infant mortality rate in Congo
Congo: Infant mortality rate was 2.7 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.7 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
54th
of 199 countries
All-time high
12.7 deaths per 100 live births
in 1944
All-time low
2.7 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
81
1944–2024
Infant mortality rate in Congo, 1944–2024
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
Congo recorded 2.7 deaths per 100 live births for infant mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 81 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Congo peaked at 12.7 deaths per 100 live births in 1944 and was at its lowest, 2.7 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Congo 54th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 81 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate in Congo, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 12.7 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1945 | 12.59 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1946 | 12.53 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1947 | 12.41 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1948 | 12.33 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1949 | 12.21 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1950 | 12.07 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1951 | 11.91 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1952 | 11.74 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1953 | 11.53 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1954 | 11.29 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1955 | 11.03 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1956 | 10.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1957 | 10.44 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1958 | 10.13 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1959 | 9.83 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1960 | 9.55 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1961 | 9.29 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1962 | 9.05 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1963 | 8.82 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 8.59 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1965 | 8.39 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 8.19 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 8 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 7.82 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 7.65 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 7.49 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 7.37 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 7.24 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 7.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 7 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 6.89 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 6.79 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 6.67 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1978 | 6.57 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 6.36 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 6.26 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 6.15 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 5.9 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.8 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 5.72 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 5.67 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 5.65 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 5.76 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 5.88 deaths per 100 live births | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 6.05 deaths per 100 live births | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 6.24 deaths per 100 live births | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 6.7 deaths per 100 live births | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 6.94 deaths per 100 live births | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 7.16 deaths per 100 live births | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 7.32 deaths per 100 live births | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 7.37 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 7.3 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 7.11 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 6.82 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 6.46 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 5.61 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 5.21 deaths per 100 live births | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 4.85 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 4.55 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 4.12 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 3.97 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 3.85 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 3.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 3.64 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 3.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 3.33 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 3.32 deaths per 100 live births | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 3.03 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 2.94 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 2.85 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.77 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 2.7 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 2.7 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.87 deaths per 100 live births, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 2.7 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72 deaths per 100 live births, 73% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 12.46 deaths per 100 live births | 12.21 deaths per 100 live births | 12.7 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1950s | 11.07 deaths per 100 live births | 9.83 deaths per 100 live births | 12.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.54 deaths per 100 live births | 7.65 deaths per 100 live births | 9.55 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.96 deaths per 100 live births | 6.47 deaths per 100 live births | 7.49 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.92 deaths per 100 live births | 5.65 deaths per 100 live births | 6.36 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | 5.76 deaths per 100 live births | 7.37 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.83 deaths per 100 live births | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | 7.3 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.61 deaths per 100 live births | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | 4.12 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.86 deaths per 100 live births | 2.7 deaths per 100 live births | 3.03 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 51 Dominican Republic 2.77 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 52 Ghana 2.75 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 53 Laos 2.72 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 55 Gabon 2.59 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 56 Eritrea 2.47 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 57 Bangladesh 2.44 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.4813 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9705 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 759.5 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,688 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 11 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.44 % 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 0.0695 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.45 % 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 Congo?
- Infant mortality rate in Congo was 2.7 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7 deaths per 100 live births in 1944.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Congo rank for infant mortality rate?
- Congo ranks 54th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under one year, per 100 live births .