Neonatal mortality rate in Benin
Benin: Neonatal mortality rate was 2.72 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.72 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
18th
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.46 deaths per 100 live births
in 1958
All-time low
2.72 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
67
1958–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Benin, 1958–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for neonatal mortality rate in Benin is 2.72 deaths per 100 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 67 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Benin peaked at 6.46 deaths per 100 live births in 1958 and was at its lowest, 2.72 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Benin ranks 18th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 67 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate in Benin, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 6.46 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1959 | 6.43 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 6.4 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1961 | 6.36 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 6.31 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 6.22 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 6.16 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 6.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1968 | 5.97 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 5.9 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 5.83 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 5.76 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 5.69 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 5.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 5.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 5.48 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 5.41 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1977 | 5.35 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 5.28 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 5.2 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 5.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 4.99 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 4.93 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 4.87 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 4.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 4.74 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 4.68 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 4.61 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 4.53 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 4.45 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 4.37 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 4.3 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 4.23 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 4.17 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 4.11 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 4.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 4 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 3.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 3.89 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 3.82 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 3.67 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 3.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 3.5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 3.47 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 3.43 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 3.4 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 3.38 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 3.34 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 3.3 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 3.26 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 3.18 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 3.11 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 3.02 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 2.92 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 2.87 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 2.82 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 2.77 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 2.72 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 2.72 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.81 deaths per 100 live births, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 2.72 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.33 deaths per 100 live births, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.45 deaths per 100 live births | 6.43 deaths per 100 live births | 6.46 deaths per 100 live births | 2 |
| 1960s | 6.17 deaths per 100 live births | 5.9 deaths per 100 live births | 6.4 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.52 deaths per 100 live births | 5.2 deaths per 100 live births | 5.83 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.83 deaths per 100 live births | 4.53 deaths per 100 live births | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.15 deaths per 100 live births | 3.89 deaths per 100 live births | 4.45 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | 3.38 deaths per 100 live births | 3.82 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.16 deaths per 100 live births | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | 3.34 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.82 deaths per 100 live births | 2.72 deaths per 100 live births | 2.92 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 15 Sierra Leone 2.83 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 16 Mali 2.8 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 17 Cote d'Ivoire 2.74 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 19 Djibouti 2.71 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 20 Equatorial Guinea 2.63 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 21 Ethiopia 2.52 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Benin
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8458 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,002 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 13,632 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 21 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.21 % 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 0.0741 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is neonatal mortality rate in Benin?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Benin was 2.72 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 6.46 deaths per 100 live births in 1958.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.72 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Benin rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Benin ranks 18th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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 Neonatal mortality rate. 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, per 100 live births .