UNICEF's country profile for Sweden, 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 Sweden amounted to two. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 14.3, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

The infant mortality rate in Sweden, for children under the age of one year old, was 240 deaths per thousand births in 1800. This meant that for all babies born in 1800, approximately one quarter did not survive past their first birthday. There were some brief periods in the early and mid nineteenth century where this rate increased, but overall, Sweden's infant mortality rate has decreased steadily throughout it's recorded history. Nowadays, the figure is at it's lowest point ever, with just two deaths per thousand births recorded, meaning that 99.8 percent of children would live past their first birthday.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for Sweden (SPDYNIMRTINSWE) from 1960 to 2023 about mortality, infant, Sweden, and rate.

Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 2.600 Ratio in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.600 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 2.700 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.500 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 2.600 Ratio in 2017. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Infant: 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 Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male 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 Sweden infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

2.0 (deaths per thousand live births) 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.

The child mortality rate in Sweden, for children under the age of five, was 381 deaths per thousand births in 1800. This means that approximately 38 percent of all children born in 1800 did not make it to their fifth birthday. Over the course of the next 220 years, this number has dropped drastically, particularly from 1880 onwards, and the rate has dropped to its lowest point ever in 2020 where it is just two deaths per thousand births, which is the lowest in the world.

Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) in Sweden was reported at 2 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) in Sweden was reported at 1.8 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 2.800 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.900 Ratio for 2016. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 7.250 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.600 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 2.800 Ratio in 2017. Sweden SE: 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 Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: 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 2022, the infant mortality rate in Sweden was **** deaths per 1,000 live births. From 1980 to 2022 the annual mortality rate in Sweden has decreased dramatically from approximately seven deaths per 1,000 live births to around two deaths per 1,000. The infant mortality rate is an indicator used for several reasons, one of which is health assessment, providing an insight into the overall healthcare system. Other reasons include public health policy, quality of life, and global comparisons.

Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 3.100 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.200 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 3.300 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.700 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 3.100 Ratio in 2017. Sweden SE: 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 Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: 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.

Child mortality rate of Sweden remained stable at 2.5 deaths per 1,000 live births over the last 2 years. 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.

Number of infant deaths in Sweden was reported at 204 deaths in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Number of infant deaths - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The objective of this paper was to compare health outcomes and hospital care use of very low birth weight (VLBW), and very preterm (VLGA) infants in seven European countries. Analysis was performed on linkable patient-level registry data from seven European countries between 2006 and 2008 (Finland, Hungary, Italy (the Province of Rome), the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden). Mortality and length of stay (LoS) were adjusted for differences in gestational age (GA), sex, intrauterine growth, Apgar score at five minutes, parity and multiple births. The analysis included 16,087 infants. Both the 30-day and one-year adjusted mortality rates were lowest in the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden and Norway) and Scotland and highest in Hungary and the Netherlands. For survivors, the adjusted average LoS during the first year of life ranged from 56 days in the Netherlands and Scotland to 81 days in Hungary. There were large differences between European countries in mortality rates and LoS in VLBW and VLGA infants. Substantial data linkage problems were observed in most countries due to inadequate identification procedures at birth, which limit data validity and should be addressed by policy makers across Europe.

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.

A confidence interval: 95%.a The first hospital episode (FHE) starts at the day of birth and includes all continuous hospital days, including transfers between different hospitals.Risk adjusted average number of hospital days during FHE.a

Sweden SE: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 279.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 286.000 Person for 2016. Sweden SE: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 636.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,768.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 276.000 Person in 2013. Sweden SE: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: 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;

a For the >32 weeks category, figs for the Netherlands were too small to be reported for two of the gestational age groupings.b Only linkable infants included.Unadjusted mortality rates (%) within 365 days: by gestational age.