Neonatal mortality rate in Iraq

Iraq: Neonatal mortality rate was 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
68th
of 199 countries
All-time high
2.98 Deaths per 1000 live births
in 1983
All-time low
1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births
in 2023
Years of data
41
1983–2023

Neonatal mortality rate in Iraq, 1983–2023

01231983200320231983: 3 Deaths per 1000 live births1984: 2.9 Deaths per 1000 live births1985: 2.9 Deaths per 1000 live births1986: 2.8 Deaths per 1000 live births1987: 2.8 Deaths per 1000 live births1988: 2.7 Deaths per 1000 live births1989: 2.7 Deaths per 1000 live births1990: 2.7 Deaths per 1000 live births1991: 2.6 Deaths per 1000 live births1992: 2.6 Deaths per 1000 live births1993: 2.5 Deaths per 1000 live births1994: 2.5 Deaths per 1000 live births1995: 2.5 Deaths per 1000 live births1996: 2.5 Deaths per 1000 live births1997: 2.5 Deaths per 1000 live births1998: 2.4 Deaths per 1000 live births1999: 2.4 Deaths per 1000 live births2000: 2.4 Deaths per 1000 live births2001: 2.4 Deaths per 1000 live births2002: 2.3 Deaths per 1000 live births2003: 2.3 Deaths per 1000 live births2004: 2.3 Deaths per 1000 live births2005: 2.2 Deaths per 1000 live births2006: 2.2 Deaths per 1000 live births2007: 2.1 Deaths per 1000 live births2008: 2.1 Deaths per 1000 live births2009: 2 Deaths per 1000 live births2010: 2 Deaths per 1000 live births2011: 1.9 Deaths per 1000 live births2012: 1.8 Deaths per 1000 live births2013: 1.8 Deaths per 1000 live births2014: 1.7 Deaths per 1000 live births2015: 1.7 Deaths per 1000 live births2016: 1.6 Deaths per 1000 live births2017: 1.6 Deaths per 1000 live births2018: 1.5 Deaths per 1000 live births2019: 1.5 Deaths per 1000 live births2020: 1.4 Deaths per 1000 live births2021: 1.4 Deaths per 1000 live births2022: 1.3 Deaths per 1000 live births2023: 1.3 Deaths per 1000 live births

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 Iraq is 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Iraq peaked at 2.98 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1983 and was at its lowest, 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births, in 2023.

That places Iraq 68th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.82 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.71 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.98 Deaths per 1000 live births 7
1990s 2.52 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.41 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.67 Deaths per 1000 live births 10
2000s 2.22 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.02 Deaths per 1000 live births 2.38 Deaths per 1000 live births 10
2010s 1.71 Deaths per 1000 live births 1.47 Deaths per 1000 live births 1.96 Deaths per 1000 live births 10
2020s 1.35 Deaths per 1000 live births 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births 1.42 Deaths per 1000 live births 4

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 65 Philippines 1.4 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
  2. 66 Marshall Islands 1.3 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
  3. 67 Trinidad and Tobago 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
  4. 69 Azerbaijan 1.28 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
  5. 70 Bhutan 1.27 Deaths per 1000 live births compare
  6. 71 Tajikistan 1.26 Deaths per 1000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is neonatal mortality rate in Iraq?
Neonatal mortality rate in Iraq was 1.29 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 Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 2.98 Deaths per 1000 live births in 1983.
What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 1.29 Deaths per 1000 live births in 2023.
How does Iraq rank for neonatal mortality rate?
Iraq ranks 68th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iraq 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 — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Neonatal mortality rate
Unit
Deaths per 1000 live births
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 10,174 data points, 1951–2023
Last refreshed

The share of newborns who die before reaching 28 days of age.