Infant Mortality Rate By Country

Child mortality is an issue of global concern, and its significance lies in its impact on the health and well-being of our youngest populations. A critical indicator of a nation's overall health status and the effectiveness of health initiatives is its infant mortality rate (IMR) which represents the number of babies under one year of age who die for every 1,000 live births. Though the world has made impressive strides toward reducing child mortality, disparities persist among nations and communities.

Notably, the United States recorded an infant mortality rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, slightly higher than many of its industrialized counterparts. Various factors contribute to a nation's IMR, including access to quality healthcare, nutrition, clean water, safe housing, and the impact of socio-economic factors.

Key findings from the data include:

• The highest rates of child mortality were predominantly found in African nations, with Sierra Leone (80.1), Central African Republic (77.5), and Somalia (72.7) having the highest incidences per 1,000 live births.
• Western countries and more developed countries reported significantly lower rates. For instance, Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Iceland reported 1.8 and 1.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively.
• Some countries have managed to keep their IMR impressively low, such as Japan and Singapore, both reporting less than 2 deaths per 1,000 live births.
• In Asia, Pakistan stood out with a particularly high infant mortality rate at 54.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, sharply contrasting with other Asian countries like Japan and Singapore.

Though significant progress has been made in reducing child mortality worldwide, the data underscores stark inequities between countries and regions. This emphasizes the urgency for broader implementation of health initiatives in regions most affected and the need for policies which focus on providing equitable healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

The ten countries with the highest infant mortality rates are Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Somalia, Nigeria, Lesotho, Chad, DR Congo, South Sudan, Guinea, and Mali. The country with the highest infant mortality rate is Sierra Leone, which reports an average of 80.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. The Central African Republic has the second highest rate with 77.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Somalia comes in third with 72.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Nigeria closely follows with 72.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. Lesotho has an infant mortality rate of 69.9 deaths per 1,000 live births while Chad has a rate of 67.4. The DR Congo has an infant mortality rate of 63.8, South Sudan 63.3, Guinea 62.0, and finally, Mali with 58.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

10 Countries with the Highest Infant Mortality Rates (Deaths per 1,000 live births):

1. Sierra Leone - 80.1
2. Central African Republic - 77.5
3. Somalia - 72.7 
4. Nigeria - 72.2 
5. Lesotho - 69.9
6. Chad - 67.4 
7. DR Congo - 63.8
8. South Sudan - 63.3
9. Guinea - 62.0
10. Mali - 58.8 

The ten countries with the lowest infant mortality rates per 1,000 live births are Iceland, San Marino, Estonia, Slovenia, Norway, Japan, Singapore, Finland, Montenegro, and Sweden. Iceland leads the list with the lowest infant mortality rate of just 1.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Following closely, San Marino has an infant mortality rate of 1.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The third lowest is Estonia, with a rate of 1.7 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Slovenia, Norway, and Japan each have an infant mortality rate of 1.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. Singapore and Finland both report an average of 1.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Lastly, Montenegro has an infant mortality rate of 2.0 deaths, and Sweden reports a rate of 2.2 deaths per 1,000 live births.

10 Lowest infant mortality rates:

1. Iceland - 1.5 deaths per 1,000 live births
2. San Marino - 1.6 deaths per 1,000 live births
3. Estonia - 1.7 deaths per 1,000 live births
4. Slovenia - 1.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
5. Norway - 1.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
6. Japan - 1.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
7. Singapore - 1.9 deaths per 1,000 live births
8. Finland - 1.9 deaths per 1,000 live births
9. Montenegro - 2.0 deaths per 1,000 live births
10. Sweden - 2.2 deaths per 1,000 live births

To sort the data in the table, click on the column headers.