Neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Neonatal mortality rate was 2.52 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.52 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
21st
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.74 deaths per 100 live births
in 1983
All-time low
2.52 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
48
1977–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia, 1977–2024
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
In 2024, neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia stood at 2.52 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia peaked at 6.74 deaths per 100 live births in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.52 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Ethiopia 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 6.7 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1978 | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.72 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 6.73 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 6.7 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 6.66 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 6.74 deaths per 100 live births | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 6.65 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 6.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 6.46 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 6.23 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 6.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 6.05 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 5.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 5.86 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 5.74 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 5.62 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 5.5 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 5.37 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 5.25 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 5.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 5.01 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 4.91 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 4.81 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 4.7 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 4.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 4.51 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 4.32 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 4.22 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 4.1 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.99 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 3.76 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 3.64 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 3.53 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 3.43 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 3.33 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 3.23 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 3.13 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 3.04 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 2.95 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 2.87 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.79 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.76 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 2.69 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 2.59 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 2.52 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 2.52 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.38 deaths per 100 live births, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 2.52 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.33 deaths per 100 live births, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.71 deaths per 100 live births | 6.7 deaths per 100 live births | 6.72 deaths per 100 live births | 3 |
| 1980s | 6.49 deaths per 100 live births | 6.05 deaths per 100 live births | 6.74 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.43 deaths per 100 live births | 4.91 deaths per 100 live births | 5.95 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.36 deaths per 100 live births | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | 4.81 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.29 deaths per 100 live births | 2.87 deaths per 100 live births | 3.76 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.67 deaths per 100 live births | 2.52 deaths per 100 live births | 2.79 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 18 Benin 2.72 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
- 22 Mozambique 2.51 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 23 Eswatini 2.5 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 24 Cameroon 2.48 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 148 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % 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 0.0709 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.36 % 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 Ethiopia?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopia was 2.52 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.74 deaths per 100 live births in 1983.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.52 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Ethiopia rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Ethiopia ranks 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 .