Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths was 49,429 deaths in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
49,429 deaths
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
7th
of 199 countries
All-time high
64,358 deaths
in 2000
All-time low
46,905 deaths
in 1988
Years of data
37
1988–2024
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan, 1988–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2024, number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan stood at 49,429 deaths.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan peaked at 64,358 deaths in 2000 and was at its lowest, 46,905 deaths, in 1988.
Afghanistan ranks 7th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 46,905 deaths | — |
| 1989 | 47,332 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 48,171 deaths | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 47,455 deaths | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 48,474 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 53,874 deaths | +11.1% |
| 1994 | 59,227 deaths | +9.9% |
| 1995 | 61,381 deaths | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 62,470 deaths | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 63,274 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 63,685 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 64,152 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 64,358 deaths | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 61,286 deaths | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 60,414 deaths | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 62,166 deaths | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 62,167 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 60,722 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 60,370 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 59,501 deaths | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 57,329 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 57,170 deaths | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 56,581 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 55,900 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 56,111 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 55,859 deaths | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 55,455 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 55,262 deaths | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 54,314 deaths | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 53,664 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 53,004 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 52,593 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 52,124 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 51,716 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 50,754 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 49,779 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 49,429 deaths | -0.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 49,429 deaths is above the median for low income countries, which is 17,516 deaths, 2.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 49,429 deaths is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1,294 deaths, 38.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47,118 deaths | 46,905 deaths | 47,332 deaths | 2 |
| 1990s | 57,216 deaths | 47,455 deaths | 64,152 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 60,548 deaths | 57,170 deaths | 64,358 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 54,874 deaths | 52,593 deaths | 56,581 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 50,760 deaths | 49,429 deaths | 52,124 deaths | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0804 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan?
- Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Afghanistan was 49,429 deaths in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of neonatal, infant and child deaths recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 64,358 deaths in 2000.
- What is the lowest number of neonatal, infant and child deaths recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 46,905 deaths in 1988.
- How does Afghanistan rank for number of neonatal, infant and child deaths?
- Afghanistan ranks 7th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged less than 28 days .