Infant mortality rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Infant mortality rate was 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.6981 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
139th
of 199 countries
All-time high
11.36 deaths per 100 live births
in 1951
All-time low
0.6486 deaths per 100 live births
in 2012
Years of data
74
1951–2024
Infant mortality rate in Malaysia, 1951–2024
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
In 2024, infant mortality rate in Malaysia stood at 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Malaysia peaked at 11.36 deaths per 100 live births in 1951 and was at its lowest, 0.6486 deaths per 100 live births, in 2012.
Malaysia ranks 139th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Infant mortality rate in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 11.36 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1952 | 10.76 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1953 | 10.19 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1954 | 9.65 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1955 | 9.16 deaths per 100 live births | -5.1% |
| 1956 | 8.68 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1957 | 8.22 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1958 | 7.75 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1959 | 7.28 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1960 | 6.83 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1961 | 6.39 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 1962 | 5.98 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 1963 | 5.62 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 1964 | 5.3 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1965 | 5.02 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1966 | 4.79 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1967 | 4.59 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1968 | 4.41 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1969 | 4.25 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 1970 | 4.09 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1971 | 3.92 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1972 | 3.73 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 3.54 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1974 | 3.33 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 3.14 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 2.94 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 1977 | 2.76 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 2.58 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 2.41 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 1980 | 2.25 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 1981 | 2.1 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 1982 | 1.97 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 1983 | 1.84 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 1984 | 1.72 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 1.62 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 1.52 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1987 | 1.44 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 1.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1989 | 1.3 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 1.18 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 1.13 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1993 | 1.08 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 0.9993 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 0.9652 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 0.9274 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 0.8766 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 0.8138 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 2000 | 0.7539 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2001 | 0.7083 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 2002 | 0.6783 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 0.6604 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 0.6519 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 0.6491 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 0.6489 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.6495 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 0.6501 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.6502 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.6498 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 0.6488 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.6486 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.6514 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 0.6578 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.6651 deaths per 100 live births | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.6707 deaths per 100 live births | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 0.6744 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.6764 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.6781 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.6795 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 0.6825 deaths per 100 live births | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 0.687 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 0.6923 deaths per 100 live births | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births | +0.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.16 deaths per 100 live births, 60% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.39 deaths per 100 live births, 50% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 9.23 deaths per 100 live births | 7.28 deaths per 100 live births | 11.36 deaths per 100 live births | 9 |
| 1960s | 5.32 deaths per 100 live births | 4.25 deaths per 100 live births | 6.83 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.24 deaths per 100 live births | 2.41 deaths per 100 live births | 4.09 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.71 deaths per 100 live births | 1.3 deaths per 100 live births | 2.25 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.02 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8138 deaths per 100 live births | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.67 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6489 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7539 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6621 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6486 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6781 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6879 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6795 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6981 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 136 Bahrain 0.7314 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 137 Antigua and Barbuda 0.7049 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 138 Kuwait 0.7018 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 140 Cuba 0.6811 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 141 Uruguay 0.6166 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 142 Montserrat 0.6063 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % 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 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % 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 Malaysia?
- Infant mortality rate in Malaysia was 0.6981 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.36 deaths per 100 live births in 1951.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6486 deaths per 100 live births in 2012.
- How does Malaysia rank for infant mortality rate?
- Malaysia ranks 139th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under one year, per 100 live births .