Number of infants who die before age 1 in China
China: Number of infants who die before age 1 was 45,791 deaths in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
45,791 deaths
Change on year
down 10.4%
World rank
19th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.89 million deaths
in 1960
All-time low
45,791 deaths
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of infants who die before age 1 in China, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of infants who die before age 1 in China is 45,791 deaths, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 10.4% on the previous year and down 75.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of infants who die before age 1 in China peaked at 3.89 million deaths in 1960 and was at its lowest, 45,791 deaths, in 2023.
That places China 19th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of infants who die before age 1 in China, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.74 million deaths | — |
| 1951 | 2.77 million deaths | +1.1% |
| 1952 | 2.99 million deaths | +8.1% |
| 1953 | 2.94 million deaths | -1.7% |
| 1954 | 2.95 million deaths | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 2.95 million deaths | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 2.79 million deaths | -5.3% |
| 1957 | 2.89 million deaths | +3.7% |
| 1958 | 2.71 million deaths | -6.2% |
| 1959 | 3.35 million deaths | +23.4% |
| 1960 | 3.89 million deaths | +16.3% |
| 1961 | 2.69 million deaths | -30.8% |
| 1962 | 2.32 million deaths | -13.7% |
| 1963 | 3.02 million deaths | +30.1% |
| 1964 | 2.92 million deaths | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 2.74 million deaths | -5.9% |
| 1966 | 2.62 million deaths | -4.7% |
| 1967 | 2.41 million deaths | -7.8% |
| 1968 | 2.53 million deaths | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 2.51 million deaths | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 2.42 million deaths | -3.3% |
| 1971 | 2.25 million deaths | -7.4% |
| 1972 | 2.06 million deaths | -8.4% |
| 1973 | 1.89 million deaths | -7.9% |
| 1974 | 1.69 million deaths | -10.7% |
| 1975 | 1.46 million deaths | -13.5% |
| 1976 | 1.31 million deaths | -10.3% |
| 1977 | 1.15 million deaths | -12.6% |
| 1978 | 1.07 million deaths | -7.0% |
| 1979 | 1.05 million deaths | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 1.04 million deaths | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 1.03 million deaths | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 1.07 million deaths | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 968,187 deaths | -9.8% |
| 1984 | 968,153 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.01 million deaths | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 1.07 million deaths | +6.2% |
| 1987 | 1.12 million deaths | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 1.09 million deaths | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 1.10 million deaths | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 1.12 million deaths | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 936,632 deaths | -16.5% |
| 1992 | 830,770 deaths | -11.3% |
| 1993 | 774,591 deaths | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 727,337 deaths | -6.1% |
| 1995 | 684,279 deaths | -5.9% |
| 1996 | 635,543 deaths | -7.1% |
| 1997 | 586,543 deaths | -7.7% |
| 1998 | 542,570 deaths | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 502,507 deaths | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 487,836 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 436,793 deaths | -10.5% |
| 2002 | 399,083 deaths | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 365,793 deaths | -8.3% |
| 2004 | 341,707 deaths | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 317,705 deaths | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 296,878 deaths | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 278,459 deaths | -6.2% |
| 2008 | 266,381 deaths | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 247,726 deaths | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 228,227 deaths | -7.9% |
| 2011 | 209,515 deaths | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 207,198 deaths | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 185,395 deaths | -10.5% |
| 2014 | 174,526 deaths | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 152,993 deaths | -12.3% |
| 2016 | 146,503 deaths | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 136,486 deaths | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 109,570 deaths | -19.7% |
| 2019 | 95,477 deaths | -12.9% |
| 2020 | 73,954 deaths | -22.5% |
| 2021 | 60,185 deaths | -18.6% |
| 2022 | 51,091 deaths | -15.1% |
| 2023 | 45,791 deaths | -10.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.91 million deaths | 2.71 million deaths | 3.35 million deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.77 million deaths | 2.32 million deaths | 3.89 million deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.63 million deaths | 1.05 million deaths | 2.42 million deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.05 million deaths | 968,153 deaths | 1.12 million deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 734,183 deaths | 502,507 deaths | 1.12 million deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 343,836 deaths | 247,726 deaths | 487,836 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 164,589 deaths | 95,477 deaths | 228,227 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 57,755 deaths | 45,791 deaths | 73,954 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.016 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0101 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 33,364 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of infants who die before age 1 in China?
- Number of infants who die before age 1 in China was 45,791 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of infants who die before age 1 recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.89 million deaths in 1960.
- What is the lowest number of infants who die before age 1 recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,791 deaths in 2023.
- How does China rank for number of infants who die before age 1?
- China ranks 19th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of infants who die before age 1 rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of infants who die before age 1. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year. This only includes people at birth.