Infant mortality rate in Zambia
Zambia: Infant mortality rate was 3.46 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.46 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
35th
of 199 countries
All-time high
10.98 deaths per 100 live births
in 1952
All-time low
3.46 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
73
1952–2024
Infant mortality rate in Zambia, 1952–2024
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
The most recent figure for infant mortality rate in Zambia is 3.46 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Zambia peaked at 10.98 deaths per 100 live births in 1952 and was at its lowest, 3.46 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Zambia 35th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Infant mortality rate in Zambia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 10.98 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1953 | 10.87 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1954 | 10.72 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1955 | 10.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1956 | 10.47 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1957 | 10.34 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1958 | 10.21 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 10.08 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 9.94 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1961 | 9.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 9.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1964 | 9.53 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 9.48 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 9.46 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 9.46 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 9.42 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 9.35 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 9.2 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 9 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 8.76 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 8.53 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 8.31 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 8.17 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 8.09 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 8.11 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 8.16 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 8.23 deaths per 100 live births | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 8.32 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 8.41 deaths per 100 live births | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 8.52 deaths per 100 live births | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 8.7 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 8.93 deaths per 100 live births | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 9.2 deaths per 100 live births | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 9.49 deaths per 100 live births | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 9.75 deaths per 100 live births | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 9.97 deaths per 100 live births | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 10.14 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 10.23 deaths per 100 live births | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 10.26 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 10.24 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 10.15 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 10.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 9.85 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 9.69 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 9.56 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 9.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 9.25 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 8.93 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 8.46 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 7.87 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 7.23 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 6.58 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 2005 | 6.02 deaths per 100 live births | -8.5% |
| 2006 | 5.64 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 5.43 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 5.21 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 5.02 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 4.86 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 4.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 4.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 4.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 4.3 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 4.24 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 4.06 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 3.88 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 3.77 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 3.61 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 3.57 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.54 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 3.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 3.46 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3.46 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.87 deaths per 100 live births, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3.46 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72 deaths per 100 live births, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10.53 deaths per 100 live births | 10.08 deaths per 100 live births | 10.98 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1960s | 9.58 deaths per 100 live births | 9.35 deaths per 100 live births | 9.94 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.46 deaths per 100 live births | 8.09 deaths per 100 live births | 9.2 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.14 deaths per 100 live births | 8.32 deaths per 100 live births | 10.14 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.87 deaths per 100 live births | 9.25 deaths per 100 live births | 10.26 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.64 deaths per 100 live births | 5.02 deaths per 100 live births | 8.93 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.25 deaths per 100 live births | 3.61 deaths per 100 live births | 4.86 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.53 deaths per 100 live births | 3.46 deaths per 100 live births | 3.57 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 32 Comoros 3.5 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 33 Togo 3.48 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 34 East Timor 3.46 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 36 Ethiopia 3.45 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 37 Kenya 3.42 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 38 Yemen 3.38 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate in Zambia?
- Infant mortality rate in Zambia was 3.46 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.98 deaths per 100 live births in 1952.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.46 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for infant mortality rate?
- Zambia ranks 35th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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 .