Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) in Zambia
Zambia: Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) was 23,802 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
23,802
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
36th
of 197 countries
All-time high
40,301
in 1999
All-time low
14,860
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Number of infant deaths in Zambia, 1960–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, number of infant deaths in Zambia stood at 23,802.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of infant deaths in Zambia peaked at 40,301 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 14,860, in 1960.
That places Zambia 36th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Number of infant deaths (UN Inter-agency) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14,860 | — |
| 1961 | 15,135 | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 15,424 | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 15,771 | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 16,149 | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 16,578 | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 17,061 | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 17,609 | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 18,144 | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 18,608 | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 18,971 | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 19,187 | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 19,264 | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 19,344 | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 19,439 | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 19,736 | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 20,124 | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 20,631 | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 21,237 | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 21,833 | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 22,444 | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 23,175 | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 24,191 | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 25,496 | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 27,010 | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 28,712 | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 30,506 | +6.2% |
| 1987 | 32,220 | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 33,765 | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 35,213 | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 36,381 | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 37,310 | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 37,975 | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 38,504 | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 39,021 | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 39,332 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 39,558 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 39,865 | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 40,260 | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 40,301 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 39,692 | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 38,247 | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 36,253 | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 34,083 | -6.0% |
| 2004 | 31,909 | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 30,149 | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 29,127 | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 28,875 | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 28,335 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 27,924 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 27,620 | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 27,384 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 27,036 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 26,386 | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 25,753 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 25,642 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 24,831 | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 24,003 | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 23,676 | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 23,054 | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 23,158 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 23,405 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 23,606 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 23,706 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 23,802 | +0.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 23,802 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7,969, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 23,802 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22,678, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16,534 | 14,860 | 18,608 | 10 |
| 1970s | 19,977 | 18,971 | 21,833 | 10 |
| 1980s | 28,273 | 22,444 | 35,213 | 10 |
| 1990s | 38,851 | 36,381 | 40,301 | 10 |
| 2000s | 32,459 | 27,924 | 39,692 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25,538 | 23,054 | 27,620 | 10 |
| 2020s | 23,535 | 23,158 | 23,802 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % 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 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of infant deaths in Zambia?
- Number of infant deaths in Zambia was 23,802 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 40,301 in 1999.
- What is the lowest number of infant deaths recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,860 in 1960.
- How does Zambia rank for number of infant deaths?
- Zambia ranks 36th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of infant deaths rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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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About this data
Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age.