Infant Mortality Rate Worldwide (Update for 2023!)
When people want information about the overall health of a country, they may look at the infant mortality rate as one of several indicators. Globally, the infant mortality rate has decreased over the past few years. Statistics from the World Health Organization show that the number of neonatal deaths declined from 5.0 million in 1990 to 2.4 million in 2019.
Although the number of deaths has decreased, it’s important to look at infant mortality around the world and to be aware of which countries have the highest rate of infant deaths. This can give those in the healthcare profession a clearer picture of what needs to be done to give more babies a chance to survive.
What Is the Infant Mortality Rate?
The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate provides important information about maternal and infant health as well as information about how healthy a particular society is.
Infant mortality rates are calculated as the number of deaths in the first-year life divided by the number of live births. That number is then multiplied by 1000.
Causes of Infant Mortality in the United States
When looking at infant mortality rates, it’s important to distinguish between causes and contributing factors. A cause leads directly to death while a contributing factor is a risk factor that makes the death more likely to happen.
In the United States specifically, the causes of infant mortality are different compared to those worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the causes of infant mortality in 2020 were:
- Birth Defects.
- Preterm birth and low birth weight.
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
- Injuries (suffocation, etc.).
- Maternal pregnancy complications.
Causes of Infant Mortality Worldwide
As we look at infant mortality rates worldwide, these are the top five causes according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2010 which is the most recent year for which data were available:
- Neonatal encephalopathy, or problems with brain function after birth. This condition usually results from birth trauma or a lack of oxygen to the baby during birth.
- Infections, especially blood infections.
- Preterm birth complications.
- Lower respiratory infections (such as flu and pneumonia).
- Diarrheal diseases.
These five causes are an average of infant mortality from birth to age 1. It does not take into consideration that the major causes of death in older infants are different than those in younger infants. While birth defects are a top cause of death worldwide in the days just after birth, it is not when discussing older infants. Also, malaria is a top cause of death around the world in infants who are older than 1 month, but not in younger infants.
Infant Mortality Around the World
As we look at infant mortality around the world, there are some important factors to consider.
According to the World Health Organization, children face the greatest risk of death in the first 28 days of their lives. Children who die within the first 28 days of birth tend to suffer from conditions and diseases that are linked to the lack of quality care at birth or skilled care and treatment following their birth and the first days of life. Preterm birth, breathing problems at birth, and infections and birth defects cause the most neonatal deaths.
As we mentioned above, health statistics show that the infant mortality rate around the world is decreasing. But there are still concerns over the causes of infant mortality. According to the OECD, The United States and Canada have a higher proportion of babies weighing less than 500g, with low life expectancy.
In Europe, several countries apply a minimum gestational age of 22 weeks or a birth weight threshold of 500g for babies to be registered as live births.
Reducing the Infant Mortality Rate
According to the World Health Organization, the majority of newborn deaths take place in low and middle-income countries. Some ways to reduce this statistic are to:
- Reach high coverage of prenatal care.
- Provide skilled care at birth.
- Postnatal care for mother and baby.
- Care of small and sick newborns.
Another significant note is that few women and newborns stay in a hospital or birthing facility for the recommended 24 hours after birth. This is the most critical time when birth complications present themselves. Many newborns die at home because they were discharged from the hospital too soon or had trouble accessing care.
Other things that can be done to reduce the infant mortality rate include giving babies the proper care from birth as well as:
- Hygenic umbilical cord and skin care.
- Early and exclusive breastfeeding.
- Promoting skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant.
- Assessment for signs of serious health problems and receiving additional care.
- Preventative care and immunizations.
While access to medical care is different in various countries, the goal is for families to be able to seek medical care when necessary to avoid extreme illness. It’s also important to register the birth and bring the baby in for timely vaccinations.
What Country Has Highest Infant Mortality Rate?
As of this writing in 2023, the country with the highest infant mortality rate is Sierra Leone with 80.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. Iceland reports the lowest rate with an average infant mortality rate of 1.54%.
What Is the Average Infant Mortality Rate in the World?
Health statistics show that the average global infant mortality rate in 2023 is 26.053 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is a 2.4% decline from 2022.
What Is the Infant Mortality Rate by Country?
As we look at the infant mortality rate by country, you’ll notice that the countries with the highest rates are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those countries with some of the lowest rates are located in Europe.
Infant Mortality Rates of Countries
According to the World Population Review, the infant mortality rates of countries are as follows. Please note that the "Infant Mortality Rate" is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births.
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As you can see, infant mortality rates vary greatly from country to country. Many of the countries that have access to better healthcare tend to have lower infant mortality rates compared to those that have limited access to medical care.
Infant Mortality: The Takeaway
The infant mortality rate of a country gives information about the general health of a country. Globally, the infant mortality rate has decreased over the past few years, but it is still of great concern.
As of this writing, the country with the highest child mortality of infants is Sierra Leone and the country with the lowest rate is Iceland.
According to the World Health Organization, children face the greatest risk of death in the first 28 days of their lives. This is mainly due to the lack of care following their birth and during the first days of life.
Children who die within the first 28 days of birth tend to suffer from conditions and diseases that are linked to the lack of quality care at birth or skilled care and treatment following their birth and the first days of life. Preterm birth, breathing problems at birth, and infections and birth defects cause the most neonatal deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, the infant mortality rate can be reduced by reaching high coverage of prenatal care as well as skilled care at birth and proper postnatal care for mothers and babies. It is also important to care for small and sick newborns.
Learning about the infant mortality rate of a country is only one of the many important facts to know. To learn more about countries of the world and other statistics and facts, be sure to take our History Quizzes to test your knowledge.
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