Youth mortality rate in China
China: Youth mortality rate was 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.7409 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
151st
of 199 countries
All-time high
11.76 deaths per 100 live births
in 1972
All-time low
0.7409 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
53
1972–2024
Youth mortality rate in China, 1972–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
In 2024, youth mortality rate in China stood at 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 46.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth mortality rate in China peaked at 11.76 deaths per 100 live births in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places China 151st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Youth mortality rate in China, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 11.76 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1973 | 11.12 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1974 | 10.5 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1975 | 9.88 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 9.3 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1977 | 8.74 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 8.23 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 7.8 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1980 | 7.41 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 7.07 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 6.81 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 6.59 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 6.43 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 6.31 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 6.23 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 6.19 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 6.15 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 6.11 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 5.94 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 5.82 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 5.66 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 5.47 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 5.26 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 5.05 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 4.82 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 4.58 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 4.07 deaths per 100 live births | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 3.79 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 3.51 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 3.23 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2004 | 2.96 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 2.72 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 2006 | 2.5 deaths per 100 live births | -8.1% |
| 2007 | 2.3 deaths per 100 live births | -7.8% |
| 2008 | 2.13 deaths per 100 live births | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 1.97 deaths per 100 live births | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 1.7 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 1.58 deaths per 100 live births | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 1.48 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 1.38 deaths per 100 live births | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 1.29 deaths per 100 live births | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 1.2 deaths per 100 live births | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 1.13 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 1.06 deaths per 100 live births | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 0.9949 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 0.9369 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 0.8832 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 0.8334 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 0.7853 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 2024 | 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.6 deaths per 100 live births, 46% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.06 deaths per 100 live births, 36% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.67 deaths per 100 live births | 7.8 deaths per 100 live births | 11.76 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 1980s | 6.53 deaths per 100 live births | 6.11 deaths per 100 live births | 7.41 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.3 deaths per 100 live births | 4.33 deaths per 100 live births | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.92 deaths per 100 live births | 1.97 deaths per 100 live births | 4.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.36 deaths per 100 live births | 0.9949 deaths per 100 live births | 1.83 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8359 deaths per 100 live births | 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births | 0.9369 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 148 Sri Lanka 0.7458 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 149 Slovak Republic 0.742 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 150 Saudi Arabia 0.7418 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 152 Qatar 0.7345 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 153 Bulgaria 0.7235 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 154 Anguilla 0.7051 deaths per 100 live births compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0176 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth mortality rate in China?
- Youth mortality rate in China was 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest youth mortality rate recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 11.76 deaths per 100 live births in 1972.
- What is the lowest youth mortality rate recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7409 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does China rank for youth mortality rate?
- China ranks 151st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is youth mortality rate rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Youth mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under fifteen years, per 100 live births.