Neonatal mortality rate in South Korea
South Korea: Neonatal mortality rate was 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.1166 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
192nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
4.02 deaths per 100 live births
in 1951
All-time low
0.1166 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
74
1951–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in South Korea, 1951–2024
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
South Korea recorded 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births for neonatal mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in South Korea peaked at 4.02 deaths per 100 live births in 1951 and was at its lowest, 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
South Korea ranks 192nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Neonatal mortality rate in South Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 4.02 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1952 | 3.78 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1953 | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1954 | 3.37 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1955 | 3.2 deaths per 100 live births | -4.9% |
| 1956 | 3.07 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1957 | 2.98 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1958 | 2.92 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1959 | 2.88 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1960 | 2.85 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1961 | 2.84 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 2.82 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 2.8 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 2.77 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 2.73 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 2.68 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 2.62 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 2.55 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1969 | 2.48 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 2.4 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 2.33 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1972 | 2.25 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1973 | 2.19 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 2.12 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 2.06 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 2 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 1.95 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.89 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 1.75 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 1.64 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1982 | 1.53 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 1983 | 1.41 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 1.29 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 1985 | 1.18 deaths per 100 live births | -8.6% |
| 1986 | 1.07 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 1987 | 0.9781 deaths per 100 live births | -8.9% |
| 1988 | 0.8902 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 1989 | 0.8131 deaths per 100 live births | -8.7% |
| 1990 | 0.7438 deaths per 100 live births | -8.5% |
| 1991 | 0.6827 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 1992 | 0.6278 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 0.5781 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 1994 | 0.5327 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 0.4915 deaths per 100 live births | -7.7% |
| 1996 | 0.4546 deaths per 100 live births | -7.5% |
| 1997 | 0.4213 deaths per 100 live births | -7.3% |
| 1998 | 0.3924 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 0.3659 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3417 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 2001 | 0.3201 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 0.3004 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 0.2818 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2004 | 0.2622 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 0.2404 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2006 | 0.2187 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2008 deaths per 100 live births | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1882 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 0.1799 deaths per 100 live births | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 0.1754 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.173 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 0.1711 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.1689 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 0.1663 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1634 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 0.1603 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1562 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.1512 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 0.145 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 0.1378 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1304 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 0.1242 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 0.1198 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.2623 deaths per 100 live births, 44% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.8767 deaths per 100 live births, 13% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.31 deaths per 100 live births | 2.88 deaths per 100 live births | 4.02 deaths per 100 live births | 9 |
| 1960s | 2.71 deaths per 100 live births | 2.48 deaths per 100 live births | 2.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.1 deaths per 100 live births | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | 2.4 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.26 deaths per 100 live births | 0.8131 deaths per 100 live births | 1.75 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5291 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3659 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7438 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2534 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1799 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3417 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1631 deaths per 100 live births | 0.145 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1754 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1258 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1378 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 189 Slovenia 0.128 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 190 Andorra 0.1245 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 191 Latvia 0.1201 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 193 Singapore 0.1082 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 194 North Macedonia 0.1055 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 195 Estonia 0.0946 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for South Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,072 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.66 % 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 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.76 % 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 South Korea?
- Neonatal mortality rate in South Korea was 0.1166 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4.02 deaths per 100 live births in 1951.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1166 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does South Korea rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- South Korea ranks 192nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged less than 28 days, per 100 live births .