Under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa
Eastern and Southern Africa: Under-five deaths was 1.01 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.01 million
Change on year
down 3.2%
Rank
9th
of 33 groups
All-time high
2.19 million
in 1988
All-time low
1.01 million
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa, 1980–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Eastern and Southern Africa recorded 1.01 million for under-five deaths in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 2.19 million in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1.01 million, in 2024.
Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 9th of 33 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.72 million | — |
| 1981 | 1.77 million | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 1.78 million | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 2.00 million | +12.3% |
| 1984 | 1.98 million | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 1.98 million | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 1.96 million | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 1.83 million | -6.4% |
| 1988 | 2.19 million | +19.4% |
| 1989 | 1.85 million | -15.5% |
| 1990 | 1.87 million | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 1.96 million | +5.1% |
| 1992 | 1.99 million | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 2.01 million | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.98 million | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 1.92 million | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 1.93 million | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.91 million | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 2.00 million | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 1.86 million | -7.2% |
| 2000 | 1.82 million | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 1.82 million | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.72 million | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 1.67 million | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 1.63 million | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.58 million | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 1.51 million | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 1.45 million | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 1.40 million | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 1.34 million | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 1.31 million | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.38 million | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 1.21 million | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 1.15 million | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 1.16 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.16 million | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.15 million | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 1.15 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 1.06 million | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 1.03 million | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.03 million | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.10 million | +7.1% |
| 2022 | 1.12 million | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 1.05 million | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 1.01 million | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.91 million | 1.72 million | 2.19 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.94 million | 1.86 million | 2.01 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.59 million | 1.34 million | 1.82 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.18 million | 1.03 million | 1.38 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.06 million | 1.01 million | 1.12 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eastern and Southern Africa
More health data for Eastern and Southern Africa
- Deaths age 1-59 months 482,561 (2024)
- Under-five mortality rate 50.23 (2024)
- Child deaths age 1 to 4 254,739 (2024)
- Infant mortality rate 37.3 (2024)
- Infant deaths 686,654 (2024)
- Neonatal deaths 468,320 (2024)
- Child Mortality rate age 1-4 13.43 (2024)
- Neonatal mortality rate 22.65 (2024)
- Mortality rate age 1-11 months 14.49 (2024)
- Deaths age 1-11 months 290,821 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Under-five deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa was 1.01 million in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest under-five deaths recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.19 million in 1988.
- What is the lowest under-five deaths recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.01 million in 2024.
- How does Eastern and Southern Africa rank for under-five deaths?
- Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 9th out of 33 groups with data for 2024.
- Is under-five deaths rising or falling in Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eastern and Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Under-five deaths (UN IGME estimate, 2024). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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