Mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Mortality rate, infant was 47.1 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
47.1 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 2.3%
Rank
6th
of 47 groups
All-time high
102.9 per 1,000 live births
in 1991
All-time low
47.1 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa is 47.1 per 1,000 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 102.9 per 1,000 live births in 1991 and was at its lowest, 47.1 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 102.1 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1991 | 102.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 102.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 101.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 100 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 97.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 98.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 96.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 96.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 91.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 88.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 86.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 82.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 79.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 76.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 72.1 per 1,000 live births | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 69.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 66.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 64.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 63 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 60.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 60.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 57.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 55.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 55.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 54.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 53.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 53 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 51.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 50.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 49.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 50.4 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 50.8 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 48.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 47.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 98.92 per 1,000 live births | 91.7 per 1,000 live births | 102.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.9 per 1,000 live births | 63 per 1,000 live births | 88.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.13 per 1,000 live births | 50.5 per 1,000 live births | 60.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.22 per 1,000 live births | 47.1 per 1,000 live births | 50.8 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 3 Niger 65.6 per 1,000 live births compare
- 4 Somalia 65.4 per 1,000 live births compare
- 5 Liberia 63.2 per 1,000 live births compare
- 6 Zimbabwe 62.4 per 1,000 live births compare
- 7 Guinea 59.8 per 1,000 live births compare
- 8 Central African Republic 58.8 per 1,000 live births compare
- 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 56.4 per 1,000 live births compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 3.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Mortality rate, infant in Sub-Saharan Africa was 47.1 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest mortality rate, infant recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 102.9 per 1,000 live births in 1991.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, infant recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.1 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for mortality rate, infant?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, infant rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.