Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths was 16,739 deaths in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16,739 deaths
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
29th
of 199 countries
All-time high
16,739 deaths
in 2024
All-time low
6,244 deaths
in 1993
Years of data
59
1966–2024
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe, 1966–2024
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 Zimbabwe stood at 16,739 deaths. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe peaked at 16,739 deaths in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6,244 deaths, in 1993.
That places Zimbabwe 29th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 7,028 deaths | — |
| 1967 | 7,214 deaths | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 7,455 deaths | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 7,719 deaths | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 8,018 deaths | +3.9% |
| 1971 | 8,366 deaths | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 8,796 deaths | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 9,297 deaths | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 9,770 deaths | +5.1% |
| 1975 | 10,269 deaths | +5.1% |
| 1976 | 10,597 deaths | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 10,825 deaths | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 10,994 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 10,997 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 11,133 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 11,926 deaths | +7.1% |
| 1982 | 11,894 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 11,757 deaths | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 11,409 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 10,969 deaths | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 10,444 deaths | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 9,805 deaths | -6.1% |
| 1988 | 8,913 deaths | -9.1% |
| 1989 | 8,064 deaths | -9.5% |
| 1990 | 7,335 deaths | -9.0% |
| 1991 | 6,787 deaths | -7.5% |
| 1992 | 6,501 deaths | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 6,244 deaths | -4.0% |
| 1994 | 6,514 deaths | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 7,038 deaths | +8.0% |
| 1996 | 7,912 deaths | +12.4% |
| 1997 | 8,787 deaths | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 9,435 deaths | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 9,801 deaths | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 9,874 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 9,999 deaths | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 10,239 deaths | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 10,599 deaths | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 10,942 deaths | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 11,322 deaths | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 11,791 deaths | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 12,621 deaths | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 13,362 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 14,024 deaths | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 14,210 deaths | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 14,260 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 14,081 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 13,836 deaths | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 13,514 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 13,340 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 13,309 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 13,470 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 13,851 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 14,406 deaths | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 15,038 deaths | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 15,744 deaths | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 16,398 deaths | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 16,677 deaths | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 16,739 deaths | +0.4% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 16,739 deaths is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5,153 deaths, 3.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 16,739 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13,437 deaths, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7,354 deaths | 7,028 deaths | 7,719 deaths | 4 |
| 1970s | 9,793 deaths | 8,018 deaths | 10,997 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 10,631 deaths | 8,064 deaths | 11,926 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,635 deaths | 6,244 deaths | 9,801 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,477 deaths | 9,874 deaths | 14,024 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,828 deaths | 13,309 deaths | 14,406 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,119 deaths | 15,038 deaths | 16,739 deaths | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,457 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0701 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe?
- Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Zimbabwe was 16,739 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 16,739 deaths in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of neonatal, infant and child deaths recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,244 deaths in 1993.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for number of neonatal, infant and child deaths?
- Zimbabwe ranks 29th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 .