Neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Neonatal mortality rate was 26.27 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
26.27
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
1st
of 11 groups
All-time high
44.25
in 1990
All-time low
26.27
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region), 1990–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Africa (WHO region) recorded 26.27 for neonatal mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 44.25 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 26.27, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 44.25 | — |
| 1991 | 43.78 | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 43.44 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 43.07 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 42.78 | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 42.23 | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 41.84 | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 41.25 | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 40.52 | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 39.6 | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 38.67 | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 37.71 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 36.7 | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 35.71 | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 34.78 | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 33.9 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 33.13 | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 32.45 | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 31.78 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 31.25 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 30.66 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 30.15 | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 29.65 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 29.24 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 28.91 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 28.63 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 28.38 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 28.12 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 27.86 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 27.64 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 27.39 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 27.21 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 26.98 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 26.63 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 26.27 | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.27 | 39.6 | 44.25 | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.61 | 31.25 | 38.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.92 | 27.64 | 30.66 | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.9 | 26.27 | 27.39 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 23.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 12,202 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 20,261 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region)?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Africa (WHO region) was 26.27 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 44.25 in 1990.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.27 in 2024.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 1st out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Neonatal mortality rate (per 1000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).