Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) in North Korea
North Korea: Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) was 4,536 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of infant deaths in North Korea, 1960–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of infant deaths in North Korea is 4,536, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is 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 32,359 in 1960 and was at its lowest, 4,536, in 2024.
That places North Korea 68th out of 197 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 (UN Inter-agency) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32,359 | — |
| 1961 | 31,084 | -3.9% |
| 1962 | 30,534 | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 32,009 | +4.8% |
| 1964 | 32,216 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 31,390 | -2.6% |
| 1966 | 31,286 | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 32,234 | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 31,507 | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 29,425 | -6.6% |
| 1970 | 27,892 | -5.2% |
| 1971 | 26,024 | -6.7% |
| 1972 | 24,763 | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 22,151 | -10.5% |
| 1974 | 18,756 | -15.3% |
| 1975 | 16,812 | -10.4% |
| 1976 | 15,002 | -10.8% |
| 1977 | 13,456 | -10.3% |
| 1978 | 12,650 | -6.0% |
| 1979 | 12,274 | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 11,978 | -2.4% |
| 1981 | 11,896 | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 11,815 | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 11,560 | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 11,429 | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 11,456 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 11,652 | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 12,050 | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 12,393 | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 12,906 | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 13,549 | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 14,218 | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 14,675 | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 14,878 | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 14,990 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 29,354 | +95.8% |
| 1996 | 28,816 | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 27,953 | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 26,966 | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 25,956 | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 24,805 | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 23,681 | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 22,457 | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 10,183 | -54.7% |
| 2004 | 9,626 | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 9,087 | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 8,816 | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 8,725 | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 8,429 | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 8,053 | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 7,575 | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 7,206 | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 6,850 | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 6,494 | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 6,161 | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 5,863 | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 5,661 | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 5,336 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 5,144 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 4,972 | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 4,914 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 4,908 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 4,957 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 4,989 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 4,536 | -9.1% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 4,536 is below the median for low income countries, which is 31,762, 14% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 4,536 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 636.5, 7.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) 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 | 29,354 |
| 2003 | -54.7% | 22,457 | 10,183 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31,404 | 29,425 | 32,359 | 10 |
| 1970s | 18,978 | 12,274 | 27,892 | 10 |
| 1980s | 11,914 | 11,429 | 12,906 | 10 |
| 1990s | 21,136 | 13,549 | 29,354 | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,386 | 8,053 | 24,805 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,126 | 4,972 | 7,575 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,861 | 4,536 | 4,989 | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- 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)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0972 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.1893 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0921 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 0.1729 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate -0.1835 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, male, per capita 0.4951 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.1972 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of infant deaths in North Korea?
- Number of infant deaths in North Korea was 4,536 in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest number of infant deaths recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 32,359 in 1960.
- What is the lowest number of infant deaths recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,536 in 2024.
- How does North Korea rank for number of infant deaths?
- North Korea ranks 68th out of 197 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 UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Number of infant deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age.