Under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Under-five mortality rate was 69.9 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
69.9
Change on year
down 2.7%
Rank
1st
of 11 groups
All-time high
203.85
in 1980
All-time low
69.9
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region), 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region) is 69.9, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 203.85 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 69.9, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 203.85 | — |
| 1981 | 201.28 | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 197.1 | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 201.82 | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 196.9 | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 193.55 | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 190.66 | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 181.67 | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 187.87 | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 177.24 | -5.7% |
| 1990 | 176.16 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 174.57 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 173.54 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 172.15 | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 171.79 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 167.2 | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 168.39 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 164.74 | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 162.51 | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 155 | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 149.69 | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 145.52 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 137.97 | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 131.95 | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 125.97 | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 117.8 | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 112.37 | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 107.36 | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 102.6 | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 100.94 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 94.79 | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 91.29 | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 88.28 | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 85.77 | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 84.99 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 83.27 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 81.78 | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 80.45 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 77.25 | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 76.64 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 74.69 | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 76.07 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 76.79 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 71.82 | -6.5% |
| 2024 | 69.9 | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 193.19 | 177.24 | 203.85 | 10 |
| 1990s | 168.6 | 155 | 176.16 | 10 |
| 2000s | 123.22 | 100.94 | 149.69 | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.45 | 76.64 | 94.79 | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.86 | 69.9 | 76.79 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1,654 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -0.0365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8695 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region)?
- Under-five mortality rate in Africa (WHO region) was 69.9 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest under-five mortality rate recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 203.85 in 1980.
- What is the lowest under-five mortality rate recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.9 in 2024.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for under-five mortality rate?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 1st out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is under-five mortality rate rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. 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 Under-five mortality rate (probability of dying by age 5 per 1000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).