UNICEF's country profile for Somalia, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Somalia was 67.8. Between 1983 and 2023, the figure dropped by 38, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 76.300 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 78.400 Ratio for 2015. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 90.300 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 101.300 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 76.300 Ratio in 2016. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, female is the number of female infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 female live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted Average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Actual value and historical data chart for Somalia Infant Mortality Rate Per Thousand Live Births

Historical dataset showing Somalia infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Infant mortality rate of Somalia sank by 24.58% from 89.9 deaths per thousand live births in 2022 to 67.8 deaths per thousand live births in 2023. Since the 17.93% jump in 2017, infant mortality rate plummeted by 29.89% in 2023. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Somalia Infant Mortality Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1983-12-31 to 2023-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

This statistic shows the 20 countries * with the lowest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 1.5 out of 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Slovenia and Singapore in 2024. Infant mortality Infant mortality rates are often used as an indicator of the health and well-being of a nation. Monaco, Iceland, and Japan are among the top three countries with the lowest infant mortality rates with around 2 infant deaths per 1,000 infants within their first year of life. Generally, the countries with the lowest infant mortality also have some of the highest average life expectancy figures. Additionally, the countries with the highest density of physicians and doctors also generally report low infant mortality. Yet, many different factors contribute to differing rates, including the overall income of a country, health spending per capita, a mother’s level of education, environmental conditions, and medical infrastructure, to name a few. This creates a lot of variation concerning the level of childbirth and infant care around the world. The countries with the highest rates of infant mortality include Afghanistan, Mali, and Somalia. These countries experience around 100 infant deaths per 1,000 infants in their first year of life. While the reasons for high rates of infant mortality are numerous, the leading causes of death for children under the year five around the world are Pneumonia, Diarrhea, and Prematurity.

Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 127.200 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 131.500 Ratio for 2016. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 173.300 Ratio from Dec 1983 (Median) to 2017, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 193.400 Ratio in 1983 and a record low of 127.200 Ratio in 2017. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

In 2023, the state of Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rate in the United States, with around 8.94 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is the death of an infant before the age of one. The countries with the lowest infant mortality rates worldwide are Slovenia, Singapore, and Iceland. The countries with the highest infant mortality rates include Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic. Infant mortality in the United States The infant mortality rate in the United States has decreased over the past few decades, reaching a low of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022. The most common causes of infant death in the United States are congenital malformations, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome. In 2023, congenital malformations accounted for around 111 infant deaths per 100,000 live births.

Time series data for the statistic Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) and country Somalia.

Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 138.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 143.000 Ratio for 2015. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 166.200 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 188.600 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 138.800 Ratio in 2016. Somalia SO: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, male is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn male baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to male age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted Average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

In 2023, the under-five child mortality rate in East Africa was highest in Somalia, with ****** deaths per one thousand live births. South Sudan followed, with ***** deaths per one thousand live births. The under five mortality rate, also known as the child mortality rate, refers to the number of newborns who do not survive past the first five years of life. This is generally expressed as a value per 1,000 live births. Child mortality also includes neonatal mortality (deaths within the first 28 days of life) and infant mortality (deaths within the first year of life).

Somalia SO: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 50,184.000 Person in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 50,489.000 Person for 2015. Somalia SO: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 44,988.000 Person from Dec 1984 (Median) to 2016, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 51,983.000 Person in 2008 and a record low of 33,926.000 Person in 1984. Somalia SO: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Sum;

Actual value and historical data chart for Somalia Number Of Infant Deaths

Male life expectancy of Somalia leapt by 8.80% from 51.8 years in 2022 to 56.4 years in 2023. Since the 2.45% downward trend in 2021, male life expectancy improved by 4.89% in 2023. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data was reported at 57.991 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 57.559 Year for 2015. Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 47.301 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.991 Year in 2016 and a record low of 38.525 Year in 1960. Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

58.8 (years) in 2023. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

In 2023, there were five countries, where the average woman of childbearing age can expect to have over six children throughout their lifetime. In fact, of the 20 countries in the world with the highest fertility rates, Afghanistan and Yemen are the only countries not found in Sub-Saharan Africa. High fertility rates in Africa With a fertility rate of 6.13 and 6.12 children per woman, Somalia and Chad were the countries with the highest fertility rate in the world. Population growth in Chad is among the highest in the world. Lack of healthcare access, as well as food instability, political instability, and climate change, are all exacerbating conditions that keep Chad's infant mortality rates high, which is generally the driver behind high fertility rates. This situation is common across much of the continent, and, although there has been considerable progress in recent decades, development in Sub-Saharan Africa is not moving as quickly as it did in other regions. Demographic transition While these countries have the highest fertility rates in the world, their rates are all on a generally downward trajectory due to a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. The third stage (of five) of this transition sees birth rates drop in response to decreased infant and child mortality, as families no longer feel the need to compensate for lost children. Eventually, fertility rates fall below replacement level (approximately 2.1 children per woman), which eventually leads to natural population decline once life expectancy plateaus. In some of the most developed countries today, low fertility rates are creating severe econoic and societal challenges as workforces are shrinking while aging populations are placin a greater burden on both public and personal resources.

Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 54.669 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 54.267 Year for 2015. Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 44.242 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 54.669 Year in 2016 and a record low of 35.481 Year in 1960. Somalia SO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;