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.

Infant mortality rate in Zambia

Name: Infant mortality rate in Zambia
Creator: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

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

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.

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

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Zambia

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)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 186,618 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 190,016 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 191,969 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 195,406 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 197,654 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 201,065 (2025)

All data for Zambia →

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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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: 07 August 2026

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