Number of under-five deaths in South Asia
South Asia: Number of under-five deaths was 736,800 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Number of under-five deaths in South Asia, 1990–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, number of under-five deaths in South Asia stood at 736,800. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 45.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of under-five deaths in South Asia peaked at 4.21 million in 1990 and was at its lowest, 736,800, in 2024.
That places South Asia 20th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of under-five deaths in South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4.21 million | — |
| 1991 | 4.08 million | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 3.96 million | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 3.84 million | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 3.72 million | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 3.61 million | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 3.49 million | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 3.37 million | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 3.25 million | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 3.13 million | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 3.02 million | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 2.92 million | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 2.80 million | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 2.66 million | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 2.53 million | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 2.39 million | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 2.24 million | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 2.11 million | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 1.99 million | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 1.88 million | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 1.76 million | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 1.65 million | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 1.55 million | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 1.45 million | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 1.34 million | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 1.25 million | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 1.18 million | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 1.10 million | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 1.03 million | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 974,647 | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 909,401 | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 853,525 | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 810,806 | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 772,782 | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 736,800 | -4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.67 million | 3.13 million | 4.21 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.45 million | 1.88 million | 3.02 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.33 million | 974,647 | 1.76 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 816,663 | 736,800 | 909,401 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 17 Angola 67,003 compare
- 18 Côte d'Ivoire 63,784 compare
- 19 Madagascar 61,923 compare
- 20 Cameroon 61,508 compare
- 21 Kenya 58,200 compare
- 22 Burkina Faso 54,009 compare
- 23 China 53,968 compare
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 4.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.3313 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.035 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3493 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.0385 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of under-five deaths in South Asia?
- Number of under-five deaths in South Asia was 736,800 in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest number of under-five deaths recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.21 million in 1990.
- What is the lowest number of under-five deaths recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 736,800 in 2024.
- How does South Asia rank for number of under-five deaths?
- South Asia ranks 20th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is number of under-five deaths rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia 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 under-five deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children dying before reaching age five.