Mortality rate, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Mortality rate, under-5 was 71.2 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
71.2 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 2.7%
Rank
4th
of 45 groups
All-time high
179.8 per 1,000 live births
in 1991
All-time low
71.2 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Mortality rate, under-5 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, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 71.2 per 1,000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 179.8 per 1,000 live births in 1991 and was at its lowest, 71.2 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 4th out of 45 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, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 178.5 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1991 | 179.8 per 1,000 live births | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 178.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 176.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 173.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 168.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 169.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 165.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 164.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 155.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 150.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 146.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 138.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2003 | 133 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 127.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 119.8 per 1,000 live births | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 114 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 109.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 104.5 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 102.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 97.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 97.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 90.7 per 1,000 live births | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 87.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 86.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 85 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 83.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 82.5 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 79 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 78 per 1,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 75.9 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 77.1 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 78.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 73.2 per 1,000 live births | -6.5% |
| 2024 | 71.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 171.1 per 1,000 live births | 155.7 per 1,000 live births | 179.8 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 124.65 per 1,000 live births | 102.8 per 1,000 live births | 150.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.73 per 1,000 live births | 78 per 1,000 live births | 97.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.14 per 1,000 live births | 71.2 per 1,000 live births | 78.3 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Nigeria 115.6 per 1,000 live births compare
- 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
- 5 South Sudan 96.7 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
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.2801 units per person (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, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in Sub-Saharan Africa was 71.2 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 179.8 per 1,000 live births in 1991.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.2 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. 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, 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.