Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Malawi
Malawi: Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) was 48.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
48.8 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
30th
of 197 countries
All-time high
358.5 per 1,000 live births
in 1961
All-time low
48.8 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Mortality rate, under-5 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
Malawi recorded 48.8 per 1,000 live births for mortality rate, under-5 in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi peaked at 358.5 per 1,000 live births in 1961 and was at its lowest, 48.8 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Malawi 30th 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 (per 1,000 live births) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 358.5 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1962 | 356.9 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 355.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 353.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 352.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 350.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 349 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 347 per 1,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 345.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 341.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 336.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 330.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 322.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 313.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 304.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 295 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 285.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 275.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 265.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 1980 | 256.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 250.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 246.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 245.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 247.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 251.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 254 per 1,000 live births | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 254.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 253.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 249.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 243.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 236.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 228.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 221.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 214.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 207.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 202.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 197.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 191.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 182.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 171 per 1,000 live births | -6.2% |
| 2001 | 239 per 1,000 live births | +39.8% |
| 2002 | 143.2 per 1,000 live births | -40.1% |
| 2003 | 130 per 1,000 live births | -9.2% |
| 2004 | 118.7 per 1,000 live births | -8.7% |
| 2005 | 109.7 per 1,000 live births | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 102.7 per 1,000 live births | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 96.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 91 per 1,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 2009 | 85.3 per 1,000 live births | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 80.1 per 1,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 74 per 1,000 live births | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 67.9 per 1,000 live births | -8.2% |
| 2013 | 62.9 per 1,000 live births | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 60 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 57.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 55.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 53.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 52 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 51.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 50.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 50 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 50.1 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 49.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 48.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 48.8 per 1,000 live births is below the median for low income countries, which is 61.6 per 1,000 live births, 79% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 48.8 per 1,000 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48.9 per 1,000 live births, 100% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mortality rate, under-5 (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 | +39.8% | 171 per 1,000 live births | 239 per 1,000 live births |
| 2002 | -40.1% | 239 per 1,000 live births | 143.2 per 1,000 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 352.03 per 1,000 live births | 345.1 per 1,000 live births | 358.5 per 1,000 live births | 9 |
| 1970s | 307 per 1,000 live births | 265.4 per 1,000 live births | 341.7 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 250.89 per 1,000 live births | 245.5 per 1,000 live births | 256.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 212.63 per 1,000 live births | 182.3 per 1,000 live births | 243.5 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 128.75 per 1,000 live births | 85.3 per 1,000 live births | 239 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.52 per 1,000 live births | 51.3 per 1,000 live births | 80.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.78 per 1,000 live births | 48.8 per 1,000 live births | 50.4 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 in Malawi?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi was 48.8 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 recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 358.5 per 1,000 live births in 1961.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- Malawi ranks 30th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. 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 (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.