Infant mortality (Our World) in Kenya
Kenya: Infant mortality (Our World) was 3.42 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.42
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
37th
of 199 countries
All-time high
16.18
in 1953
All-time low
3.42
in 2024
Years of data
72
1953–2024
Infant mortality in Kenya, 1953–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, infant mortality in Kenya stood at 3.42. That is the lowest value across all 72 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality in Kenya peaked at 16.18 in 1953 and was at its lowest, 3.42, in 2024.
That places Kenya 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 72 years of available data.
Infant mortality (Our World) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 16.18 | — |
| 1954 | 15.29 | -5.5% |
| 1955 | 14.48 | -5.3% |
| 1956 | 13.71 | -5.3% |
| 1957 | 13.01 | -5.1% |
| 1958 | 12.37 | -4.9% |
| 1959 | 11.79 | -4.7% |
| 1960 | 11.27 | -4.4% |
| 1961 | 10.81 | -4.0% |
| 1962 | 10.41 | -3.7% |
| 1963 | 10.07 | -3.3% |
| 1964 | 9.79 | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 9.57 | -2.3% |
| 1966 | 9.4 | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 9.24 | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 9.08 | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 8.92 | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 8.76 | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 8.6 | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 8.43 | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 8.25 | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 8.06 | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 7.87 | -2.4% |
| 1976 | 7.66 | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 7.46 | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 7.25 | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 7.05 | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 6.88 | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 6.71 | -2.4% |
| 1982 | 6.57 | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 6.44 | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 6.35 | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 6.3 | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 6.29 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.33 | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 6.43 | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 6.58 | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 6.75 | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 6.91 | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 7.04 | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 7.12 | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 7.13 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 7.09 | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 7.02 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 6.91 | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 6.77 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 6.6 | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 6.37 | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 6.12 | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 5.83 | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 5.55 | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 5.26 | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 4.95 | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 4.7 | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 4.5 | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 4.26 | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 4.21 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 4.15 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 4.1 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 4.11 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 4.07 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 4 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 3.89 | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 3.84 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 3.82 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.75 | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 3.7 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 3.65 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 3.6 | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 3.55 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 3.47 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 3.42 | -1.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.42 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.87, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.42 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.83 | 11.79 | 16.18 | 7 |
| 1960s | 9.86 | 8.92 | 11.27 | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.94 | 7.05 | 8.76 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.49 | 6.29 | 6.88 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.93 | 6.6 | 7.13 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.18 | 4.21 | 6.37 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.94 | 3.7 | 4.15 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.54 | 3.42 | 3.65 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality in Kenya?
- Infant mortality in Kenya was 3.42 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 16.18 in 1953.
- What is the lowest infant mortality recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.42 in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for infant mortality?
- Kenya ranks 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 72 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).