Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in South Sudan
South Sudan: Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) was 96.7 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Mortality rate, under-5 in South Sudan, 1960–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 96.7 per 1,000 live births for mortality rate, under-5 in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 47.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in South Sudan peaked at 780.9 per 1,000 live births in 1988 and was at its lowest, 96.7 per 1,000 live births, in 2019.
South Sudan ranks 5th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 352.6 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1961 | 350 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 347.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 388.3 per 1,000 live births | +11.8% |
| 1964 | 341.2 per 1,000 live births | -12.1% |
| 1965 | 338.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 410.9 per 1,000 live births | +21.5% |
| 1967 | 407 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 403.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 409.4 per 1,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 405.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 317.7 per 1,000 live births | -21.6% |
| 1972 | 314.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 311 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 307.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 303.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 300.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 297.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 293.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 289.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 286 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 282.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 279.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 275.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 272.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 268.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 265 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 357.8 per 1,000 live births | +35.0% |
| 1988 | 780.9 per 1,000 live births | +118.3% |
| 1989 | 305.7 per 1,000 live births | -60.9% |
| 1990 | 301.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 295.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 337.1 per 1,000 live births | +14.0% |
| 1993 | 330.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 227.6 per 1,000 live births | -31.2% |
| 1995 | 268 per 1,000 live births | +17.8% |
| 1996 | 259.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 250.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 430.8 per 1,000 live births | +71.7% |
| 1999 | 189 per 1,000 live births | -56.1% |
| 2000 | 180.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 171.1 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 162.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 153.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 145.8 per 1,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 138.4 per 1,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 131.5 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 124.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 118.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 112.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 107.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 102.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 98.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 97.2 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 182.6 per 1,000 live births | +87.9% |
| 2015 | 240.8 per 1,000 live births | +31.9% |
| 2016 | 272.9 per 1,000 live births | +13.3% |
| 2017 | 292 per 1,000 live births | +7.0% |
| 2018 | 133.7 per 1,000 live births | -54.2% |
| 2019 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | -27.7% |
| 2020 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 96.7 per 1,000 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 61.6 per 1,000 live births, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 96.7 per 1,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48.9 per 1,000 live births, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in South Sudan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +118.3% | 357.8 per 1,000 live births | 780.9 per 1,000 live births |
| 2014 | +87.9% | 97.2 per 1,000 live births | 182.6 per 1,000 live births |
| 1998 | +71.7% | 250.9 per 1,000 live births | 430.8 per 1,000 live births |
| 1989 | -60.9% | 780.9 per 1,000 live births | 305.7 per 1,000 live births |
| 1999 | -56.1% | 430.8 per 1,000 live births | 189 per 1,000 live births |
| 2018 | -54.2% | 292 per 1,000 live births | 133.7 per 1,000 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 374.84 per 1,000 live births | 338.3 per 1,000 live births | 410.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 313.95 per 1,000 live births | 289.4 per 1,000 live births | 405.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 337.43 per 1,000 live births | 265 per 1,000 live births | 780.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 289.06 per 1,000 live births | 189 per 1,000 live births | 430.8 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 143.91 per 1,000 live births | 112.7 per 1,000 live births | 180.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 162.43 per 1,000 live births | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | 292 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | 96.7 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
- 2 Niger 110.7 per 1,000 live births compare
- 3 Somalia 101.1 per 1,000 live births compare
- 4 Chad 97.3 per 1,000 live births compare
- 6 Guinea 92.1 per 1,000 live births compare
- 7 Sierra Leone 90.5 per 1,000 live births compare
- 8 Central African Republic 89.7 per 1,000 live births compare
- 8 Democratic Republic of Congo 89.7 per 1,000 live births compare
More health data for South Sudan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.47 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.665 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 12,029 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 57 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0637 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, under-5 in South Sudan?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in South Sudan was 96.7 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 South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 780.9 per 1,000 live births in 1988.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.7 per 1,000 live births in 2019.
- How does South Sudan rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- South Sudan ranks 5th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan 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.