Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in Malawi
Malawi: Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 23.6 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
23.6
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
29th
of 213 countries
All-time high
37.87
in 2000
All-time low
23.6
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Malawi, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2024, neonatal mortality rate in Malawi stood at 23.6. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Malawi peaked at 37.87 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.6, in 2024.
That places Malawi 29th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 37.87 | — |
| 2001 | 37.16 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 33.77 | -9.1% |
| 2003 | 31.97 | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 30.52 | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 29.42 | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 28.71 | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 28.27 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 27.84 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 27.32 | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 26.7 | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 26.06 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 25.38 | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 24.78 | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 24.35 | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 24.05 | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 23.86 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 23.78 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 23.76 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 23.77 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 23.87 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 23.91 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 23.85 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 23.78 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 23.6 | -0.7% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 23.6 is below the median for low income countries, which is 25.08, 94% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 23.6 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.6, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.29 | 27.32 | 37.87 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.65 | 23.76 | 26.7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.8 | 23.6 | 23.91 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 26 Burkina Faso 23.75 compare
- 27 Sudan 23.71 compare
- 28 Democratic Republic of the Congo 23.62 compare
- 30 Madagascar 23.06 compare
- 31 Gambia 22.95 compare
- 32 Haiti 22.63 compare
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Malawi?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Malawi was 23.6 in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 37.87 in 2000.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Malawi ranks 29th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).