Infant mortality rate in Japan

Japan: Infant mortality rate was 0.1817 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.1817 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
196th
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.24 deaths per 100 live births
in 1949
All-time low
0.1769 deaths per 100 live births
in 2021
Years of data
76
1949–2024

Infant mortality rate in Japan, 1949–2024

0246194919862024

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

The most recent figure for infant mortality rate in Japan is 0.1817 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Japan peaked at 6.24 deaths per 100 live births in 1949 and was at its lowest, 0.1769 deaths per 100 live births, in 2021.

That places Japan 196th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 6.24 deaths per 100 live births 6.24 deaths per 100 live births 6.24 deaths per 100 live births 1
1950s 4.37 deaths per 100 live births 3.28 deaths per 100 live births 5.79 deaths per 100 live births 10
1960s 2.1 deaths per 100 live births 1.42 deaths per 100 live births 3.04 deaths per 100 live births 10
1970s 1.04 deaths per 100 live births 0.7834 deaths per 100 live births 1.34 deaths per 100 live births 10
1980s 0.5804 deaths per 100 live births 0.4678 deaths per 100 live births 0.738 deaths per 100 live births 10
1990s 0.4105 deaths per 100 live births 0.3435 deaths per 100 live births 0.4584 deaths per 100 live births 10
2000s 0.2814 deaths per 100 live births 0.245 deaths per 100 live births 0.3277 deaths per 100 live births 10
2010s 0.2074 deaths per 100 live births 0.1815 deaths per 100 live births 0.2382 deaths per 100 live births 10
2020s 0.1786 deaths per 100 live births 0.1769 deaths per 100 live births 0.1817 deaths per 100 live births 5

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 193 Finland 0.1872 deaths per 100 live births compare
  2. 195 Slovenia 0.1836 deaths per 100 live births compare
  3. 197 Belarus 0.1802 deaths per 100 live births compare
  4. 198 Estonia 0.153 deaths per 100 live births compare
  5. 199 San Marino 0.1214 deaths per 100 live births compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is infant mortality rate in Japan?
Infant mortality rate in Japan was 0.1817 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 Japan?
The highest recorded value was 6.24 deaths per 100 live births in 1949.
What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1769 deaths per 100 live births in 2021.
How does Japan rank for infant mortality rate?
Japan ranks 196th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Infant mortality rate
Unit
deaths per 100 live births
Source
United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 13,185 data points, 1931–2024
Last refreshed

The estimated number of deaths of children aged under one year, per 100 live births .