Number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Number of under-five deaths was 2.77 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.77 million
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
3rd
of 11 groups
All-time high
4.09 million
in 1998
All-time low
2.77 million
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region), 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region) is 2.77 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 4.09 million in 1998 and was at its lowest, 2.77 million, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.50 million | — |
| 1981 | 3.54 million | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 3.56 million | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 3.75 million | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 3.74 million | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 3.76 million | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 3.78 million | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 3.67 million | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 3.89 million | +5.8% |
| 1989 | 3.74 million | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 3.78 million | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 3.83 million | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 3.89 million | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 3.94 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 4.01 million | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 3.98 million | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 4.09 million | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 4.08 million | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 4.09 million | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 3.98 million | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 3.93 million | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.91 million | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.78 million | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 3.70 million | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 3.61 million | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 3.46 million | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 3.38 million | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.31 million | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 3.23 million | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 3.25 million | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 3.11 million | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 3.06 million | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 3.01 million | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 2.97 million | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 2.99 million | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.98 million | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 2.96 million | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 2.95 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 2.86 million | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 2.87 million | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 2.82 million | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 2.91 million | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 2.97 million | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 2.81 million | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 2.77 million | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.69 million | 3.50 million | 3.89 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.97 million | 3.78 million | 4.09 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.56 million | 3.23 million | 3.93 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.98 million | 2.86 million | 3.11 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.86 million | 2.77 million | 2.97 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 23.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 20,261 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 20,578 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region)?
- Number of under-five deaths in Africa (WHO region) was 2.77 million in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest number of under-five deaths recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.09 million in 1998.
- What is the lowest number of under-five deaths recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.77 million in 2024.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for number of under-five deaths?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 3rd out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is number of under-five deaths rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Number of under-five deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).