In 1955, the infant mortality rate in North Korea was estimated to be 121 deaths per thousand live births, meaning that for every thousand children born in North Korea in this year, one eighth would not survive past their first birthday. This figure was recorded during the five year period between 1951 and 1955, which was dominated by the effects of the Korean War; following the war's end and the period of adjustment that followed, North Korea's infant mortality rate fell significantly over the next four decades. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent cut off of economic aid, infant mortality in North Korea more than doubled in the 1990s. Flooding, famine and drought, exacerbated by the governments inefficient response saw infant mortality rise to 58 deaths per thousand births by the late 1990s. This figure has dropped to just 14 deaths per thousand births since the turn of the millennium, although this rate is seven times higher than that of South Korea.

UNICEF's country profile for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 12.500 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.900 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 20.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39.500 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 12.500 Ratio in 2017. North Korea KP: 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 North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: 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.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPDYNIMRTINPRK) from 1960 to 2023 about North Korea, mortality, infant, and rate.

In 2022, the mortality rate of children under five years old in South Korea amounted to three per one thousand live births. The under-five mortality rate in North Korea was 17 per one thousand live births in the same year. Although the under-five mortality rate in North Korea has declined in recent years, it is still much higher compared to South Korea.

North Korea infant mortality rate for 2023 was 14.50, a 1.4% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2022 was <strong>14.30</strong>, a <strong>1.42% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2021 was <strong>14.10</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2020 was <strong>14.10</strong>, a <strong>1.4% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 20.000 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.100 Ratio for 2015. North Korea KP: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 36.000 Ratio from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2016, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 75.700 Ratio in 1997 and a record low of 20.000 Ratio in 2016. North Korea KP: 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 North Korea – Table KP.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.

North Korea infant mortality rate for 2022 was 13.60, a 7.09% increase from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2021 was <strong>12.70</strong>, a <strong>4.51% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2020 was <strong>13.30</strong>, a <strong>4.32% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>North Korea infant mortality rate for 2019 was <strong>13.90</strong>, a <strong>4.79% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) in North Korea was reported at 16.1 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 1900, the child mortality rate in the area of present-day North Korea was estimated to be almost five hundred deaths per thousand live births, meaning that approximately half of all children born at this time were not expected to survive past their fifth birthday. This rate would increase to 524 deaths per thousand births in the 1910s, before rapidly falling from the 1910s until the middle of the century (following the Japanese annexation of the peninsula in 1910). There was a slight increase in child mortality rates in the late 1940s, as the Korean peninsula was divided into two states; although it continued upon its rapid decline in the 1950s, with the decrease slowing in the next three decades.

This decline would continue steadily until the 1990s, when the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting cut-off of economic aid would cause child mortality to rise for a decade, and this was exacerbated by the flooding, drought, famine and economic mismanagement of the late 1990s. The past two decades, however, have seen child mortality fall once more, and in 2020, it is estimated that for every thousand children born in North Korea, over 98 percent will make it past the age of five.

South Korea infant mortality rate for 2025 is 1.72, a 2.16% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Korea infant mortality rate for 2024 was <strong>1.76</strong>, a <strong>2.11% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Korea infant mortality rate for 2023 was <strong>1.80</strong>, a <strong>3.34% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Korea infant mortality rate for 2022 was <strong>1.86</strong>, a <strong>3.23% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) in North Korea was reported at 14.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was 14.50000 Number per 1,000 Live Births in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea reached a record high of 55.10000 in January of 1996 and a record low of 13.10000 in January of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (North Korea) - Infant Mortality Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

The crude birth rate in North Korea saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 13.06 live births per 1,000 inhabitants. Still, 2022 marked the third consecutive decline of the rate. The crude birth rate refers to the number of live births in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude death rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.

Number of infant deaths in North Korea was reported at 4989 deaths in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North Korea - Number of infant deaths - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

North Korea birth rate for 2022 was 13.06, a 1.37% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>North Korea birth rate for 2021 was <strong>13.24</strong>, a <strong>0.7% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>North Korea birth rate for 2020 was <strong>13.33</strong>, a <strong>1.14% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>North Korea birth rate for 2019 was <strong>13.49</strong>, a <strong>0.01% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

In 1900, the crude birth rate in the area of modern-day North Korea was estimated to be approximately 42 births per thousand people, meaning just over 4.2% of the population was born in that year. This rate would remain largely unchanged for the first few decades of the 20th century, but would fluctuate greatly in the between the 1940s and 1970s, due to the impact of the Second World War in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by the devastating Korean War in the early 1950s, and then the period of instability and adjustment that followed the war. After falling to just under 21 births per thousand people by 1980, the crude birth rate would remain largely stable until the turn of the century, before falling below 14 births per thousand people.

North Korea KP: Completeness of Birth Registration data was reported at 100.000 % in 2009. This records an increase from the previous number of 98.900 % for 2000. North Korea KP: Completeness of Birth Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 99.450 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2009, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2009 and a record low of 98.900 % in 2000. North Korea KP: Completeness of Birth Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Completeness of birth registration is the percentage of children under age 5 whose births were registered at the time of the survey. The numerator of completeness of birth registration includes children whose birth certificate was seen by the interviewer or whose mother or caretaker says the birth has been registered.; ; UNICEF's State of the World's Children based mostly on household surveys and ministry of health data.; Weighted average;

South Korea birth rate for 2025 is 6.72, a 0.39% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Korea birth rate for 2024 was <strong>6.74</strong>, a <strong>0.38% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Korea birth rate for 2023 was <strong>6.77</strong>, a <strong>1.93% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Korea birth rate for 2022 was <strong>6.90</strong>, a <strong>1.9% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SPDYNCBRTINPRK) from 1960 to 2023 about North Korea, birth, crude, and rate.