Neonatal mortality rate in Somalia
Somalia: Neonatal mortality rate was 3.42 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Neonatal mortality rate in Somalia, 1983–2024
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 Somalia stood at 3.42 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Somalia peaked at 4.86 deaths per 100 live births in 1983 and was at its lowest, 3.42 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Somalia 4th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate in Somalia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 4.86 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1984 | 4.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 4.77 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 4.69 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 4.65 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 4.6 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 4.55 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 4.82 deaths per 100 live births | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 4.8 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 4.77 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 4.44 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 4.43 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 4.43 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 4.44 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 4.47 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 4.51 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 4.54 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 4.57 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 4.58 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.57 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 4.57 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4.54 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 4.5 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 4.43 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 4.64 deaths per 100 live births | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 4.29 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 4.17 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 4.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 4.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 3.95 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 3.93 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.83 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 3.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 3.67 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 3.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 3.61 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.48 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 3.42 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.38 deaths per 100 live births, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 3.42 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.33 deaths per 100 live births, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | 4.6 deaths per 100 live births | 4.86 deaths per 100 live births | 7 |
| 1990s | 4.55 deaths per 100 live births | 4.42 deaths per 100 live births | 4.82 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.53 deaths per 100 live births | 4.43 deaths per 100 live births | 4.58 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.11 deaths per 100 live births | 3.74 deaths per 100 live births | 4.64 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.56 deaths per 100 live births | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | 3.67 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 1 South Sudan 3.95 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 2 Nigeria 3.9 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 3 Pakistan 3.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 5 Zimbabwe 3.37 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 6 Afghanistan 3.31 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 7 Liberia 3.29 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for Somalia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8681 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 987.7 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 32,421 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 182 (2013)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.39 % 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 0.0897 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % 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 Somalia?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Somalia was 3.42 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.86 deaths per 100 live births in 1983.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.42 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Somalia rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Somalia ranks 4th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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 .