Neonatal mortality rate in Australia
Australia: Neonatal mortality rate was 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Neonatal mortality rate in Australia, 1968–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Deaths per 1000 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for neonatal mortality rate in Australia is 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Australia peaked at 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1968 and was at its lowest, 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births, in 2023.
That places Australia 168th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.28 Deaths per 1000 live births | 1.28 Deaths per 1000 live births | 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.04 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.7555 Deaths per 1000 live births | 1.26 Deaths per 1000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5855 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.485 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.7059 Deaths per 1000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3933 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.3546 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.4637 Deaths per 1000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3262 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.2886 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.3518 Deaths per 1000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2446 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.2337 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.2757 Deaths per 1000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.234 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births | 0.236 Deaths per 1000 live births | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More health data for Australia
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 178,762 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 168,402 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 173,667 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 163,850 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 166,847 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 158,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Australia?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Australia was 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1968.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2311 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Australia ranks 168th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of newborns who die before reaching 28 days of age.