Mortality rate, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Mortality rate, neonatal was 26.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
26.6 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 1.1%
Rank
4th
of 47 groups
All-time high
44.8 per 1,000 live births
in 1990
All-time low
26.6 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Mortality rate, neonatal 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
In 2024, mortality rate, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 26.6 per 1,000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 44.8 per 1,000 live births in 1990 and was at its lowest, 26.6 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Mortality rate, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 44.8 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1991 | 44.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 44.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 43.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 43.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 42.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 42.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 41.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 40.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 39.9 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 39 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 38.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 37.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 36.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 35.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 34.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 33.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 33 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 32.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 31.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 31.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 30.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 30.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 29.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 29.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 29.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 28.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 28.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 28.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 28.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 27.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 27.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 27.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 26.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 26.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.76 per 1,000 live births | 39.9 per 1,000 live births | 44.8 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.06 per 1,000 live births | 31.8 per 1,000 live births | 39 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.45 per 1,000 live births | 28.1 per 1,000 live births | 31.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.24 per 1,000 live births | 26.6 per 1,000 live births | 27.8 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 South Sudan 39.5 per 1,000 live births compare
- 2 Nigeria 39 per 1,000 live births compare
- 3 Pakistan 36.1 per 1,000 live births compare
- 4 Somalia 34.2 per 1,000 live births compare
- 5 Zimbabwe 33.7 per 1,000 live births compare
- 6 Afghanistan 33.1 per 1,000 live births compare
- 7 Liberia 32.9 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, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Mortality rate, neonatal in Sub-Saharan Africa was 26.6 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, neonatal recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 44.8 per 1,000 live births in 1990.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, neonatal recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for mortality rate, neonatal?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, neonatal rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. 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, neonatal (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Neonatal mortality rate is the number of neonates dying before reaching 28 days of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.