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.

Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) in Somalia was reported at 67.8 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Somalia - Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

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.

Time series data for the statistic Infant_Mortality_Rate_Per_1000_Live_Births and country Somalia. Indicator Definition:Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.The statistic "Infant Mortality Rate Per 1000 Live Births" stands at 67.80 per mille as of 12/31/2023, the lowest value at least since 12/31/1984, the period currently displayed. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -22.10 percentage points compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percentage points is -22.10.The 3 year change in percentage points is -5.90.The 5 year change in percentage points is -18.00.The 10 year change in percentage points is -21.20.The Serie's long term average value is 109.72 per mille. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 41.92 percentage points lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2023, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is +0.0.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1992, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -206.20.

Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) in Somalia was reported at 62.3 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Somalia - Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) in Somalia was reported at 73.1 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Somalia - Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Child mortality rate of Somalia plummeted by 27.22% from 142.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 104.0 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Since the 19.91% surge in 2017, child mortality rate sank by 33.08% in 2023. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates.

In 2022, the state of Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rate in the United States, with around 9.11 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. Causes of infant mortality Rates and causes of infant mortality are different depending on the country and region. However, the leading causes of neonatal deaths include preterm birth complications, intrapartum-related events, and sepsis. The leading causes of death among children aged 1 to 59 months are pneumonia, diarrhea, and injury. 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 2021. The most common causes of infant death in the United States are congenital malformations, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome. In 2022, congenital malformations accounted for around 108 infant deaths per 100,000 live births.

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;

Number of infant deaths in Somalia was reported at 52410 deaths in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Somalia - Number of infant deaths - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

104.0 (deaths per 1,000 live births) in 2023. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates.