This is a source dataset for a Let's Get Healthy California indicator at https://letsgethealthy.ca.gov/. Infant Mortality is defined as the number of deaths in infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is often used as an indicator to measure the health and well-being of a community, because factors affecting the health of entire populations can also impact the mortality rate of infants. Although California’s infant mortality rate is better than the national average, there are significant disparities, with African American babies dying at more than twice the rate of other groups. Data are from the Birth Cohort Files. The infant mortality indicator computed from the birth cohort file comprises birth certificate information on all births that occur in a calendar year (denominator) plus death certificate information linked to the birth certificate for those infants who were born in that year but subsequently died within 12 months of birth (numerator). Studies of infant mortality that are based on information from death certificates alone have been found to underestimate infant death rates for infants of all race/ethnic groups and especially for certain race/ethnic groups, due to problems such as confusion about event registration requirements, incomplete data, and transfers of newborns from one facility to another for medical care. Note there is a separate data table "Infant Mortality by Race/Ethnicity" which is based on death records only, which is more timely but less accurate than the Birth Cohort File. Single year shown to provide state-level data and county totals for the most recent year. Numerator: Infants deaths (under age 1 year). Denominator: Live births occurring to California state residents. Multiple years aggregated to allow for stratification at the county level. For this indicator, race/ethnicity is based on the birth certificate information, which records the race/ethnicity of the mother. The mother can “decline to state”; this is considered to be a valid response. These responses are not displayed on the indicator visualization.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in India was at about 24.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, a significant decrease from previous years. Infant mortality as an indicatorThe infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births. This rate is an important key indicator for a country’s health and standard of living; a low infant mortality rate indicates a high standard of healthcare. Causes of infant mortality include premature birth, sepsis or meningitis, sudden infant death syndrome, and pneumonia. Globally, the infant mortality rate has shrunk from 63 infant deaths per 1,000 live births to 27 since 1990 and is forecast to drop to 8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births by the year 2100. India’s rural problemWith 32 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, India is neither among the countries with the highest nor among those with the lowest infant mortality rate. Its decrease indicates an increase in medical care and hygiene, as well as a decrease in female infanticide. Increasing life expectancy at birth is another indicator that shows that the living conditions of the Indian population are improving. Still, India’s inhabitants predominantly live in rural areas, where standards of living as well as access to medical care and hygiene are traditionally lower and more complicated than in cities. Public health programs are thus put in place by the government to ensure further improvement.

Number of infant deaths and infant mortality rates, by age group (neonatal and post-neonatal), 1991 to most recent year.

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.

This dataset presents the crude rate of infant mortality, defined as the number of deaths of infants aged under 1 year per 1,000 live births. It is a fundamental indicator of child health and wellbeing, reflecting the broader social, economic, and environmental conditions in which children are born and raised.

Rationale Reducing the infant mortality rate is a key public health objective. High rates may indicate issues related to maternal health, access to healthcare, socioeconomic inequalities, or environmental risks. Monitoring this indicator supports efforts to improve early life outcomes and reduce health disparities.

Numerator The numerator is the number of infant deaths (under 1 year of age) registered during the relevant period. Data are sourced from the Deaths Register.

Denominator The denominator is the number of live births registered during the same period. Births are assigned to geographical areas based on the mother’s usual residence. Data are sourced from the Births Register.

Caveats Live births are geographically assigned based on the mother’s usual residence, which may differ from the location of the birth or death. This should be considered when interpreting local-level data.

External References Fingertips Public Health Profiles – Infant Mortality Rate

Localities ExplainedThis dataset contains data based on either the resident locality or registered locality of the patient, a distinction is made between resident locality and registered locality populations:Resident Locality refers to individuals who live within the defined geographic boundaries of the locality. These boundaries are aligned with official administrative areas such as wards and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs).Registered Locality refers to individuals who are registered with GP practices that are assigned to a locality based on the Primary Care Network (PCN) they belong to. These assignments are approximate—PCNs are mapped to a locality based on the location of most of their GP surgeries. As a result, locality-registered patients may live outside the locality, sometimes even in different towns or cities.This distinction is important because some health indicators are only available at GP practice level, without information on where patients actually reside. In such cases, data is attributed to the locality based on GP registration, not residential address.

Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.

Infant mortality rate including country, regional, and global breakdown

Definition:
Probability of dying between birth and exactly 1 year of age, expressed per 1,000 live births

1. Data source: Statistics Department of the Ministry of Interior. 2. Definition: The probability of death from birth to less than 1 year old.

The infant mortality rate in India, for children under the age of one year old, was over 204 deaths per thousand births in 1915. This means that for all babies born in 1915,more than one fifth did not survive past their first birthday. This rate fluctuated over the next four decades, but since the mid-1900s, India's infant mortality rate has fallen from 181 to 32 deaths per thousand births in 2020, meaning that over three percent of all babies born today do not make it to their first birthday.

This dataset presents the crude rate of infant mortality, defined as the number of deaths of infants aged under 1 year per 1,000 live births. It is a fundamental indicator of child health and wellbeing, reflecting the broader social, economic, and environmental conditions in which children are born and raised.

Rationale Reducing the infant mortality rate is a key public health objective. High rates may indicate issues related to maternal health, access to healthcare, socioeconomic inequalities, or environmental risks. Monitoring this indicator supports efforts to improve early life outcomes and reduce health disparities.

Numerator The numerator is the number of infant deaths (under 1 year of age) registered during the relevant period. Data are sourced from the Deaths Register.

Denominator The denominator is the number of live births registered during the same period. Births are assigned to geographical areas based on the mother’s usual residence. Data are sourced from the Births Register.

Caveats Live births are geographically assigned based on the mother’s usual residence, which may differ from the location of the birth or death. This should be considered when interpreting local-level data.

External References Fingertips Public Health Profiles – Infant Mortality Rate

Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.

Footnotes: 1 Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Vital Statistics, Birth, Death and Stillbirth Databases. The table 13-10-0110-01 is an update of table 13-10-0408-01. 2 Infant mortality corresponds to the death of a child under one year of age. Expressed as a rate per 1,000 live births. 3 Perinatal deaths include late fetal deaths (stillbirths with a gestational age of 28 weeks or more) and early neonatal deaths (deaths of infants aged less than one week). 4 Numbers and rates in this table may differ from those found in similar data published by the Vital Statistics program as the data here have been tabulated based on postal codes available for place of residence. 5 2017 data for Yukon are not available. 6 The number of births, stillbirths, and deaths in Ontario for 2016 and 2017 are considered preliminary. 7 Due to improvements in methodology and timeliness, the duration of data collection has been shortened compared to previous years. As a result, there may have been fewer births and stillbirths captured by the time of the release. The 2017 data are therefore considered preliminary. 8 A census metropolitan area (CMA) is an area consisting of one or more adjacent municipalities situated around a major urban core. To form a census metropolitan area, the urban core must have a population of at least 100,000. The CMAs are those defined for the 2016 Census. To form a census agglomeration, the urban core must have a population of at least 10,000. 9 The metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ) classification is an approach to better differentiate areas of Canada outside of census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations. Census subdivisions that lie outside these areas are classified into one of four zones of influence. They are assigned to categories based on the flow of residents travelling to work in an urban area with a population greater than 10,000. Municipalities where more that 30% of the residents commute to work in an urban core are assigned to the strong MIZ category. Municipalities where between 5% and 30% of the residents commute to work in an urban core are assigned to the moderate MIZ category. Municipalities where between 0% and 5% of the residents commute to work in an urban core are assigned to the weak MIZ category. Municipalities where fewer than 40 or none of the residents commute to work in an urban core are assigned to the zero MIZ category. 10 Geographical areas are modified every 5 years to reflect the most recent census definitions, therefore, data are not strictly comparable historically. 11 Counts and rates in this table are based on three consecutive years of data. 12 The 95% confidence interval (CI) illustrates the degree of variability associated with a rate. 13 Wide confidence intervals (CIs) indicate high variability, thus, these rates should be interpreted and compared with due caution. 14 The following standard symbols are used in this Statistics Canada table: (..) for figures not available for a specific reference period, (...) for figures not applicable and (x) for figures suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. 15 The figures shown in the tables have been subjected to a confidentiality procedure known as controlled rounding to prevent the possibility of associating statistical data with any identifiable individual. Under this method, all figures, including totals and margins, are rounded either up or down to a multiple of 5. Controlled rounding has the advantage over other types of rounding of producing additive tables as well as offering more protection.

Infant mortality is defined as the number of babies dying before the age of one for every 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is a measure of the longer term consequences of perinatal events and is particularly important for monitoring outcomes for high risk groups such as very preterm babies and growth restricted babies. Legacy unique identifier: P01743

Each year Eurostat collects demographic data at regional level from EU, EFTA and Candidate countries as part of the Population Statistics data collection. POPSTAT is Eurostat’s main annual demographic data collection and aims to gather information on demography and migration at national and regional levels by various breakdowns (for the full overview see the Eurostat dedicated section). More specifically, POPSTAT collects data at regional levels on:

• population stocks;
• vital events (live births and deaths).

Each country must send the statistics for the reference year (T) to Eurostat by 31 December of the following calendar year (T+1). Eurostat then publishes the data in March of the calendar year after that (T+2).

Demographic data at regional level include statistics on the population at the end of the calendar year and on live births and deaths during that year, according to the official classification for statistics at regional level (NUTS - nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) in force in the year. These data are broken down by NUTS 2 and 3 levels for EU countries. For more information on the NUTS classification and its versions please refer to the Eurostat dedicated pages. For EFTA and Candidate countries the data are collected according to the agreed statistical regions that have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS.

The breakdown of demographic data collected at regional level varies depending on the NUTS/statistical region level. These breakdowns are summarised below, along with the link to the corresponding online table:

NUTS 2 level

• Population by sex, age and region of residence — demo_r_d2jan
• Population on 1 January by age group, sex and region of residence — demo_r_pjangroup
• Live births by mother's age, mother's year of birth and mother's region of residence — demo_r_fagec
• Deaths by sex, age, and region of residence — demo_r_magec

NUTS 3 level

• Population on 1 January by sex, age group and region of residence — demo_r_pjangrp3
• Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and region of residence — demo_r_pjanaggr3
• Live births (total) by region of residence — demo_r_births
• Live births by five-year age group of the mothers and region of residence — demo_r_fagec3
• Deaths (total) by region of residence — demo_r_deaths
• Deaths by five-year age group, sex and region of residence — demo_r_magec3

This more detailed breakdown (by five-year age group) of the data collected at NUTS 3 level started with the reference year 2013 and is in accordance with the European laws on demographic statistics. In addition to the regional codes set out in the NUTS classification in force, these online tables include few additional codes that are meant to cover data on persons and events that cannot be allocated to any official NUTS region. These codes are denoted as CCX/CCXX/CCXXX (Not regionalised/Unknown level 1/2/3; CC stands for country code) and are available only for France, Hungary, North Macedonia and Albania, reflecting the raw data as transmitted to Eurostat.

For the reference years from 1990 to 2012 all countries sent to Eurostat all the data on a voluntary basis, therefore the completeness of the tables and the length of time series reflect the level of data received from the responsible National Statistical Institutes’ (NSIs) data provider. As a general remark, a lower data breakdown is available at NUTS 3 level as detailed:

• population data are broken down by sex and broad age groups (0-14, 15-64 and 65 or more). The data have this disaggregation since the reference year 2007 for all countries, and even longer for some — demo_r_pjanaggr3
• vital events (live births and deaths) data are available only as totals, without any further breakdown — demo_r_births and demo_r_deaths

Demographic indicators are calculated by Eurostat based on the above raw data using a common methodology for all countries and regions. The regional demographic indicators computed by NUTS level and the corresponding online tables are summarised below:

NUTS 2 level

• Population structure indicators by region of residence (shares of various population age groups, dependency ratios and median age) — demo_r_pjanind2
• Fertility indicators by region of residence — demo_r_find2
• Fertility rates by age and region of residence — demo_r_frate2
• Life table by age, sex and region of residence — demo_r_mlife
• Life expectancy by age, sex and region of residence — demo_r_mlifexp
• Infant mortality rates by region of residence — demo_r_minfind

NUTS 3 level

• Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at regional level — demo_r_gind3
• Population density by region — demo_r_d3dens
• Population structure indicators by region of residence (shares of various population age groups, dependency ratios and median age) — demo_r_pjanind3
• Fertility indicators by region of residence (total fertility rate, mean age of woman at childbirth and median age of woman at childbirth) — demo_r_find3

Notes:

1) All the indicators are computed for all lower NUTS regions included in the tables (e.g. data included in a table at NUTS 3 level will include also the data for NUTS 2, 1 and country levels).

2) Demographic indicators computed by NUTS 2 and 3 levels are calculated using input data that have different age breakdown. Therefore, minor differences can be noted between the values corresponding to the same indicator of the same region classified as NUTS 2, 1 or country level.

3) Since the reference year 2015, Eurostat has stopped collecting data on area; therefore, the table 'Area by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_d3area)' includes data up to the year 2015 included.

4) Starting with the reference year 2016, the population density indicator is computed using the new data on area 'Area by NUTS 3 region (reg_area3).

For current version see: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/maternal_child_family_health_services/MCFHSstatistics.html

Infant Mortality - Cohort Dataset Note: The Infant Mortality Rate is infant deaths (under one year of age) per 1,000 live births, by geography. Numerator represents infant's race/ethnicity. Denominator represents mother's race/ethnicity.

***API: Asian/Pacific Islander. ***AIAN: American Indian/Alaska Native. Blank Cells: Rates not calculated for fewer than 5 events. Rates not calculated in cases where infant's zip code of residence is unknown.

Sources: State of California, Department of Public Health, Death Statistical Master Files (before 2014), California Comprehensive Death Files (2014 and later), and Birth Statistical Master Files. Prepared by: County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency, Public Health Services, Community Health Statistics Unit, 2019.

Interpretation: "There were 5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in Geography X".

Data Guide, Dictionary, and Codebook: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/CHS/Community%20Profiles/Public%20Health%20Services%20Codebook_Data%20Guide_Metadata_10.2.19.xlsx

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

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic Infant_Mortality_Rate_Per_1000_Live_Births. 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.Indicator Unit:The statistic is measured in Per Mille.Descriptive Statistics regarding the Indicator "Infant Mortality Rate Per 1000 Live Births":The number of countries with data stands at: 192 countries.The average value across those countries stands at: 18.59.The standard deviation across those countries stands at: 16.48.The lowest value stands at: 1.40, and was observed in San Marino, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks first.The highest value stands at: 72.60, and was observed in South Sudan, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks last.Looking at countries with values, the top 5 countries are:1. San Marino, actual value 1.40, actual ranking 1.2. Estonia, actual value 1.60, actual ranking 2.3. Singapore, actual value 1.70, actual ranking 3.4. Finland, actual value 1.80, actual ranking 4.5. Japan, actual value 1.80, actual ranking 4.6. Slovenia, actual value 1.80, actual ranking 4.Looking at countries with values, the bottom 5 countries are:1. South Sudan, actual value 72.60, actual ranking 192.2. Niger, actual value 67.40, actual ranking 191.3. Guinea, actual value 61.50, actual ranking 190.4. Central African Republic, actual value 60.40, actual ranking 189.5. Nigeria, actual value 60.10, actual ranking 188.

The Mortality - Infant Deaths (from Linked Birth / Infant Death Records) online databases on CDC WONDER provide counts and rates for deaths of children under 1 year of age, occuring within the United States to U.S. residents. Information from death certificates has been linked to corresponding birth certificates. Data are available by county of mother's residence, child's age, underlying cause of death, sex, birth weight, birth plurality, birth order, gestational age at birth, period of prenatal care, maternal race and ethnicity, maternal age, maternal education and marital status. Data are available since 1995. The data are produced by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The infant mortality rate in Japan, for children under the age of one year old, was 166 deaths per thousand births in 1920. This means that for all babies born in 1920, just under 17 percent did survive past their first birthday. This rate decreased gradually and consistently over the next century, and today, Japan has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, with approximately 99.8% of all babies surviving past their first birthday.

The Poverty Mapping Project: Global Subnational Infant Mortality Rates data set consists of estimates of infant mortality rates for the year 2000. The infant mortality rate for a region or country is defined as the number of children who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births. The data products include a shapefile (vector data) of rates, grids (raster data) of rates (per 10,000 live births in order to preserve precision in integer format), births (the rate denominator) and deaths (the rate numerator), and a tabular data set of the same and associated data. Over 10,000 national and subnational Units are represented in the tabular and grid data sets, while the shapefile uses approximately 1,000 Units in order to protect the intellectual property of source data sets for Brazil, China, and Mexico. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

The Poverty Mapping Project: Global Subnational Infant Mortality Rates data set consists of estimates of infant mortality rates for the year 2000. The infant mortality rate for a region or country is defined as the number of children who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births. The data products include a shapefile (vector data) of rates, grids (raster data) of rates (per 10,000 live births in order to preserve precision in integer format), births (the rate denominator) and deaths (the rate numerator), and a tabular data set of the same and associated data. Over 10,000 national and subnational Units are represented in the tabular and grid data sets, while the shapefile uses approximately 1,000 Units in order to protect the intellectual property of source data sets for Brazil, China, and Mexico. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

For current version see: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/maternal_child_family_health_services/MCFHSstatistics.html

Infant Mortality - VRBIS Dataset Note: This dataset is created from the mortality database. Cases are registered deaths only. The Infant Mortality Rate is infant deaths (under one year of age) per 1,000 live births, by geography. Rates not calculated in cases where infant's zip code of residence is unknown. Numerator represents infant's race/ethnicity. Denominator represents mother's race/ethnicity.

***API: Asian/Pacific Islander. ***AIAN: American Indian/Alaska Native. Blank Cells: Rates not calculated for fewer than 5 events.

Sources: California Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics, Office of Health Information and Research, Vital Records Business Intelligence System, 2016.
Prepared by: County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency, Public Health Services, Community Health Statistics Unit, 2019.

Interpretation: "There were 5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in Geography X".

Data Guide, Dictionary, and Codebook: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/CHS/Community%20Profiles/Public%20Health%20Services%20Codebook_Data%20Guide_Metadata_10.2.19.xlsx