Number of infant deaths (United Nations) in North Korea
North Korea: Number of infant deaths (United Nations) was 4,536 deaths in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4,536 deaths
Change on year
down 9.1%
World rank
68th
of 199 countries
All-time high
69,689 deaths
in 1951
All-time low
4,536 deaths
in 2024
Years of data
74
1951–2024
Number of infant deaths in North Korea, 1951–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 4,536 deaths for number of infant deaths in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.1% on the previous year and down 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of infant deaths in North Korea peaked at 69,689 deaths in 1951 and was at its lowest, 4,536 deaths, in 2024.
That places North Korea 68th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of infant deaths (United Nations) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 69,689 deaths | — |
| 1952 | 35,766 deaths | -48.7% |
| 1953 | 34,300 deaths | -4.1% |
| 1954 | 33,666 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1955 | 34,962 deaths | +3.8% |
| 1956 | 33,814 deaths | -3.3% |
| 1957 | 35,911 deaths | +6.2% |
| 1958 | 38,541 deaths | +7.3% |
| 1959 | 35,154 deaths | -8.8% |
| 1960 | 32,359 deaths | -8.0% |
| 1961 | 31,084 deaths | -3.9% |
| 1962 | 30,534 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 32,009 deaths | +4.8% |
| 1964 | 32,216 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 31,390 deaths | -2.6% |
| 1966 | 31,286 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 32,234 deaths | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 31,507 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 29,425 deaths | -6.6% |
| 1970 | 27,892 deaths | -5.2% |
| 1971 | 26,024 deaths | -6.7% |
| 1972 | 24,763 deaths | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 22,151 deaths | -10.5% |
| 1974 | 18,756 deaths | -15.3% |
| 1975 | 16,812 deaths | -10.4% |
| 1976 | 15,002 deaths | -10.8% |
| 1977 | 13,456 deaths | -10.3% |
| 1978 | 12,650 deaths | -6.0% |
| 1979 | 12,274 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 11,978 deaths | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 11,896 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 11,815 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 11,560 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 11,429 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 11,456 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 11,652 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 12,050 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 12,393 deaths | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 12,906 deaths | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 13,549 deaths | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 14,218 deaths | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 14,675 deaths | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 14,878 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 14,990 deaths | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 29,354 deaths | +95.8% |
| 1996 | 28,816 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 27,953 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 26,966 deaths | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 25,956 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 24,805 deaths | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 23,681 deaths | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 22,457 deaths | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 10,183 deaths | -54.7% |
| 2004 | 9,626 deaths | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 9,087 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 8,816 deaths | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 8,725 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 8,429 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 8,053 deaths | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 7,575 deaths | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 7,206 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 6,850 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 6,494 deaths | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 6,161 deaths | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 5,863 deaths | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 5,661 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 5,336 deaths | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 5,144 deaths | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 4,972 deaths | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 4,914 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 4,908 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 4,957 deaths | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 4,989 deaths | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 4,536 deaths | -9.1% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 4,536 deaths is below the median for low income countries, which is 31,762 deaths, 14% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 4,536 deaths is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 636.5 deaths, 7.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of infant deaths (United Nations) in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +95.8% | 14,990 deaths | 29,354 deaths |
| 2003 | -54.7% | 22,457 deaths | 10,183 deaths |
| 1952 | -48.7% | 69,689 deaths | 35,766 deaths |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 39,089 deaths | 33,666 deaths | 69,689 deaths | 9 |
| 1960s | 31,404 deaths | 29,425 deaths | 32,359 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 18,978 deaths | 12,274 deaths | 27,892 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 11,914 deaths | 11,429 deaths | 12,906 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 21,136 deaths | 13,549 deaths | 29,354 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,386 deaths | 8,053 deaths | 24,805 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,126 deaths | 4,972 deaths | 7,575 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,861 deaths | 4,536 deaths | 4,989 deaths | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 767 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 0.1972 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate -0.1835 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.1893 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, annual growth rate 2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 0.1729 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0972 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of infant deaths in North Korea?
- Number of infant deaths in North Korea was 4,536 deaths in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of infant deaths recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 69,689 deaths in 1951.
- What is the lowest number of infant deaths recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,536 deaths in 2024.
- How does North Korea rank for number of infant deaths?
- North Korea ranks 68th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of infant deaths rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North 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 Number of infant deaths. 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 under 1 .