Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) in Malawi
Malawi: Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) was 43.5 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
43.5 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
31st
of 197 countries
All-time high
343.2 per 1,000 live births
in 1961
All-time low
43.5 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Mortality rate, under-5, female in Malawi, 1961–2024
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, under-5, female in Malawi is 43.5 per 1,000 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5, female in Malawi peaked at 343.2 per 1,000 live births in 1961 and was at its lowest, 43.5 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Malawi 31st out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 343.2 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1962 | 341.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 340 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 338.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 336.9 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 335.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 333.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 331.9 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 329.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 326.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 321.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 315.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 308.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 300.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 291.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 282.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 272.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 262.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 1979 | 253.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 245 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 238.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 234.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 233.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 236 per 1,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 239.5 per 1,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 241.9 per 1,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 242.5 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 241.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 237.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 232.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 225.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 218.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 211.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 204.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 197.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 192.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 187.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 181.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 172.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 161.2 per 1,000 live births | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 229.4 per 1,000 live births | +42.3% |
| 2002 | 133.9 per 1,000 live births | -41.6% |
| 2003 | 121.1 per 1,000 live births | -9.6% |
| 2004 | 110.3 per 1,000 live births | -8.9% |
| 2005 | 101.5 per 1,000 live births | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 94.7 per 1,000 live births | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 89 per 1,000 live births | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 83.4 per 1,000 live births | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 77.8 per 1,000 live births | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 72.9 per 1,000 live births | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 67.1 per 1,000 live births | -8.0% |
| 2012 | 61.2 per 1,000 live births | -8.8% |
| 2013 | 56.5 per 1,000 live births | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 54 per 1,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 51.5 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 50 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 48.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 46.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 45.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 44.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 44.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 44.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 44.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 43.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 43.5 per 1,000 live births is below the median for low income countries, which is 56.6 per 1,000 live births, 77% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 43.5 per 1,000 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.05 per 1,000 live births, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +42.3% | 161.2 per 1,000 live births | 229.4 per 1,000 live births |
| 2002 | -41.6% | 229.4 per 1,000 live births | 133.9 per 1,000 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 336.79 per 1,000 live births | 329.8 per 1,000 live births | 343.2 per 1,000 live births | 9 |
| 1970s | 293.55 per 1,000 live births | 253.3 per 1,000 live births | 326.8 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 239 per 1,000 live births | 233.7 per 1,000 live births | 245 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 202.38 per 1,000 live births | 172.3 per 1,000 live births | 232.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 120.23 per 1,000 live births | 77.8 per 1,000 live births | 229.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.35 per 1,000 live births | 45.7 per 1,000 live births | 72.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.34 per 1,000 live births | 43.5 per 1,000 live births | 44.9 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % 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 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, under-5, female in Malawi?
- Mortality rate, under-5, female in Malawi was 43.5 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, under-5, female recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 343.2 per 1,000 live births in 1961.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5, female recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for mortality rate, under-5, female?
- Malawi ranks 31st out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5, female rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Under-five mortality rate, female is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn female baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to female age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.