In 2021, the infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom was four deaths one year per 1,000 live births, one of the lowest infant mortality rate in this period. Infant mortality has fallen considerably since 1900, when there were 150 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

The infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom increased by 0.1 deaths per 1,000 live births (+2.56 percent) in 2023. Therefore, the infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom reached a peak in 2023 with four deaths per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate refers to the number of infants who do not survive past the first year of life, expressed as a value per 1,000 births.Find more statistics on other topics about the United Kingdom with key insights such as total fertility rate, total life expectancy at birth, and death rate.

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

Annual statistics on births and infant deaths based on babies born in a calendar year that died before their first birthday linked to their corresponding birth notification and their corresponding death registration.

The infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom, for children under the age of one (twelve months), was 31.7 deaths per thousand births in 1950. Approximately 3.2 percent of children born in 1950 did not survive past their first birthday. Over the course of the next 70 years, this number has dropped significantly. It amounted to just four deaths per thousand births in the period between 2015 and 2020, the lowest figure recorded.

Live births, stillbirths and linked infant deaths occurring annually in England and Wales, and associated risk factors.

The child mortality rate in the United Kingdom, for children under the age of five, was 329 deaths per thousand births in 1800. This means that approximately one in every three 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 in the first half of the twentieth century, and the rate has dropped to its lowest point ever in 2020 where it is just four deaths per thousand births.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for the United Kingdom (SPDYNIMRTINGBR) from 1960 to 2023 about mortality, infant, United Kingdom, and rate.

Forecast: Infant Mortality Rate in the UK 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Infant deaths under 1 year of age per 1000 live births.

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Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) in United Kingdom was reported at 3.6 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - 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.

The United Kingdom: Infant deaths per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 4 deaths per 1000 live births, unchanged from 4 deaths per 1000 live births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 19 deaths per 1000 live births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2022 is 10 deaths per 1000 live births. The minimum value, 4 deaths per 1000 live births, was reached in 2010 while the maximum of 23 deaths per 1000 live births was recorded in 1960.

United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 3.700 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.700 Ratio for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 8.900 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.900 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 3.700 Ratio in 2016. United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 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.

Live births, stillbirths and infant deaths by ethnicity of the baby, England and Wales, 2007 to 2019

Forecast: Infant Mortality Rate in the UK 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

These tables include data on live births, infant deaths, and infant mortality rates by ethnic group as well as on infant deaths, and infant mortality rates by cause of death and ethnic group.

Source agency: Office for National Statistics

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Infant mortality by ethnic group

United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 4.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.900 Ratio for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 5.700 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.400 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.800 Ratio in 2016. United Kingdom UK: 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 UK – Table UK.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.

This data package consists of mortality statistics including alcohol related deaths, breast cancer mortality, infant mortality, stillbirth, neonatal mortality and under 75 mortalities from various diseases in England. It also provides data on monthly figures on deaths registered in England and Wales.

Forecast: Female Infant Mortality Rate in the UK 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This study aimed to provide a more individual, micro-level appreciation of infant mortality data. Previously, the focus of these data had been aggregative, at a fairly high level of aggregation - the country, county registration district. To that end, a team of research students at the Open University has examined vaccination registers at the sub-registration district level for 22 such districts.
In 1853 vaccination was made compulsory and in 1871 legislation was introduced requiring all poor law unions to appoint vaccination officers and to set up a system of registration; this system, with only minor alterations, lasted until 1948. Under the 1871 Act, vaccination officers took over all the functions of the local registrars except for giving parents the statutory notice of compulsory vaccination. The vaccination registrar recorded the following: (i) the registration number in the civil birth register; (ii) date of birth; (iii) place of birth; (iv) name of child; (v) sex; (vi) name of father, or if illegitimate, mother; (vii) occupation of father or if illegitimate, mother; (viii) date of notice to vaccinate given to parent; (ix) date of successful vaccination, postponement or insusceptibility to vaccination; (x) name of medical man who signed the certificate; (xi) date of death of any child who died before vaccination; (xii) reference number in vaccination officer's report book on problem cases. From the monthly information on infant deaths, the vaccination officer compiled an infant death register on children dying under the age of one year.
Medical historians have begun to recognise the historical importance of the compulsory provisions of Victorian vaccination legislation, which entailed the growth of a complex administrative structure necessary for its implementation. This can been seen as a forerunner of the Welfare State, particularly as regards the development of the public health movement.
It is generally agreed that civil registration had reached a high standard of reliability by 1872, and as the vaccination birth registers and infant death registers are copies of the civil registers for the period 1872-1948, they constitute an unrivalled source of information on infant mortality for the period.
Main Topics:

The data consist of transcriptions from a sample of English vaccination registers, at the sub-registration district level, for selected years within the period 1871-1913. The variables differ slightly due to local custom and the transcribing methods employed but broadly, for each district, they consist of number in birth register; date of birth; address; gender; legitimacy; parents' occupation; date of vaccination; date of exception; date of death.

Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.