The infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Yemen stood at 34.7 in 2023. The infant mortality rate fell by 238.1 from 1960.

Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 43.200 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 43.200 Ratio for 2015. Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 89.650 Ratio from Dec 1963 (Median) to 2016, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 273.800 Ratio in 1963 and a record low of 43.200 Ratio in 2016. Yemen YE: 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 Yemen – Table YE.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.

In 1955, the infant mortality rate in Yemen was estimated to be approximately 290 deaths per thousand live births, meaning that for every thousand children born in Yemen in that year, about three in ten would not survive past their first birthday. Infant mortality would decline sharply in the second half of the 20th century, despite several civil wars in this time period, falling to less than a third of the 1955 rate by 2000. This decrease can be attributed in part to rising oil revenues in this time period, which allowed for improvements in health services and standards of living, despite the civil and political turmoil. However, while infant mortality would continue to decline into the 21st century, declines in mortality would stagnate beginning in the 2010s, as several revolutions, coup d'états, and the on-going Yemeni Civil War would lead to both widespread food and medical shortages, as well as severe disruptions in the operations of domestic and international health programs in the country. As a result, in 2020, it is estimated that for every thousand children born in Yemen, 43 will not survive past their first birthday.

Historical dataset showing Yemen infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 1895, the child mortality rate in Yemen was estimated to be 540 deaths per thousand live births, meaning that for every thousand children born in Yemen in that year, over half would not survive past their fifth birthday. This figure would decline steadily in the first half of the 20th century, falling to 420 deaths per thousand births by 1950**. Child mortality would see its most rapid decline between the late 1960s and 1980s, however, as rising oil revenues would allow for significant improvements in health services in the country. However, while child mortality would fall to approximately 100 deaths by the turn of the century, the rate of decline would begin to slow, as several revolutions, coup d'états, and the on-going Yemeni Civil War would lead to widespread food and medical shortages, as well as severe disruptions in the operations of domestic and international health programs in the country. As a result, while child mortality has continued to decline in Yemen, it is estimated in 2020 that for every thousand children born in the country, 55 will not survive past their fifth birthday; one of the highest child mortality rates in the region.

Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 51.400 Ratio in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 51.300 Ratio for 2015. Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 52.200 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 120.400 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 51.300 Ratio in 2015. Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: 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 Yemen – Table YE.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, female is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn female baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to female 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.

Actual value and historical data chart for Yemen Mortality Rate Infant Male Per 1000 Live Births

Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 55.300 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 55.300 Ratio for 2015. Yemen YE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 127.850 Ratio from Dec 1963 (Median) to 2016, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 401.900 Ratio in 1963 and a record low of 55.300 Ratio in 2016. Yemen YE: 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 Yemen – Table YE.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.

34.7 (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.

Yemen YE: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 37,312.000 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 37,056.000 Person for 2015. Yemen YE: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 54,564.000 Person from Dec 1964 (Median) to 2016, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 73,277.000 Person in 1965 and a record low of 35,272.000 Person in 2010. Yemen YE: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Yemen – Table YE.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;

Time series data for the statistic Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) and country Yemen, Rep.. Indicator Definition: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.The indicator "Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births)" stands at 39.30 as of 12/31/2023, the lowest value at least since 12/31/1961, the period currently displayed. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -3.68 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is -3.68.The 3 year change in percent is -9.03.The 5 year change in percent is -16.38.The 10 year change in percent is -20.61.The Serie's long term average value is 168.97. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 76.74 percent lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent 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 percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1960, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -90.83%.

This scatter chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) against life expectancy at birth (year) in Yemen. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in Yemen was 35.21. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 20.81, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Historical dataset showing Yemen birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Abstract

The Yemen Demographic and Maternal and Child Health Survey (YDMCHS) is the first national survey conducted in Yemen since unification of the country. It was designed to collect data on households, ever-married women of reproductive age, and children under age five. The subjects covered in the household survey were: characteristics of households, housing and living conditions, school enrollment, labor force participation, general mortality, disability, fertility, and child survival. The areas covered in the survey of women of reproductive age were: demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, marriage and reproductive history, fertility regulation and preferences, antenatal care, breastfeeding, and child care. For children under five in the survey, the topics included diarrheal and other morbidity, nutritional supplementation, accidents, vaccination, and nutritional status.

The survey was carried out as a part of the DHS program and also the PAPCHILD program. The DHS program is assisting governments and private agencies in the implementation of household surveys in developing countries; PAPCHILD has similar goals for developing countries in the Arab League. The main objectives of the DHS project are to: (a) provide decision makers with a data base and analyses useful for informed policy choices, (b) expand the international population and health data base, (c) advance survey methodology, and (d) develop skills and resources necessary to conduct high quality demographic and health surveys in the participating countries.

The YDMCHS was specifically aimed at furnishing information on basic population and household characteristics, maternal and child health, fertility, family planning, and infant and child mortality in Yemen. The survey also presents information on breastfeeding practices and the nutritional status of children under age five. The survey will provide policymakers and planners with important information for use in formulating programs and policies regarding maternal and child health, child mortality, and reproductive behavior.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

SAMPLE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

The YDMCHS sample was designed to enable data analysis for Yemen as a whole, and separately for urban and rural areas, and for two regions: (1) the Northern and Western governorates, and (2) the Southern and Eastern governorates. The target sample was set at completed interviews for about 12,000 households with about 6,000 eligible women. No target number was fixed for children under five, for whom information was to be collected for all children in each household that was selected for the women's interview. In half of the selected households, only the Household Questionnaire was administered; in the other half, in addition to administering the Household Questionnaire, all eligible women were interviewed and information on eligible children was collected.

The YDMCHS covered the entire country, except for nomadic peoples and those living on hard-to-reach Yemeni islands. The survey adopted a stratified, multi-stage sampling design. The sample was stratified by urban and rural areas in the two regions. In this report, the Northern and Western governorates region includes: Sana'a City and the governorates of Sana'a, Taiz, Hodeidah, lbb, Dhamar, Hajjah, A1-Beida, Sa'adah, AI-Mahweet, Ma'areb, and AI-Jawf. The Southern and Eastern governorates region consists of Aden, Laheg, Abyen, Shabwah, Hadramout, and AI-Mahrah govemoratcs. In the first stage, sampling units or clusters were selected; the second stage involved selection of households. The initial objective of having a self-weighted sample was compromised in order to have reliable estimates for urban and rural areas within each region. Sana'a City, the urban (not rural) areas of Aden, and the rural areas of Laheg were oversampled.

For the survey, 258 sampling units were selected, which contained 13,712 households. In half of the selected households, only the Household and Housing Characteristics Questionnaires were administered. In the other half, the Women's and Child's Questionnaires were also administered to all eligible women and children.

Note: See detailed description of sample design in APPENDIX B of the final survey report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

Design, Preparation and Revision of Questionnaires

The YDMCHS survey includes the following questionnaires: - Household Questionnaire - Housing Characteristics Questionnaire - Reproductive Health Questionnaire (also called the Women's Questionnaire - Child Health Questionnaire (also called the Children's Questionnaire) - Community Questionnaire

The items included in these questionnaires were selected after reviewing similar surveys such as those carried out by the Pan Arab Project for Child Development (PAPCHILD), which was sponsored by the Arab League Organization, and the model questionnaires of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Calverton, Maryland, USA. The final YDMCHS questionnaires were mainly based on PAPCHILD's model questionnaires. The questionnaires were modified to suit the conditions of Yemen society and to meet the information requirements of the country. A large number of questions were included in the YDMCHS questionnaires in order to obtain as much information as possible on demographic and population dynamics, health and environmental issues, other indicators of standards of living, housing conditions, maternal and child health, and characteristics of local communities regarding provision of health services. English versions of the questionnaires (except the Community Questionnaire) are reproduced in Appendix E.

The Household Questionnaire consists of a household roster, including questions on orphan hood, education level and economic activity of household members. It also collects information on general mortality, disability and, for ever-married women under age 55, information on fertility and child survival.

The Housing Characteristics Questionnaire was administered as pan of the household survey. It includes eight sections: housing, cooking, water, lighting, sanitation, and waste disposal, ownership of objects and assets, and drainage.

The YDMCHS Women's Questionnaire or Reproductive Health Questionnaire consists of nine sections: - Respondent's background - Marriage and co-residence - Reproduction and child survival - Antenatal care: current pregnancy - Maternal care: the last five years - Child feeding - Cause of death for children who died - Family planning and childbearing attitudes - Husband's background

The Child Health Questionnaire, which is also referred to as Children's Questionnaire, consists of six sections: - General child care - Morbidity: diarrhea - Morbidity: other illnesses - Immunization - Weight and height

Cleaning operations

Editing and Coding

Data preparation began one week after the start of fieldwork and continued simultaneously with the fieldwork activities. Field editors checked the questionnaires for completeness and consistency. Field supervisors also checked completed questionnaires on a sample basis. Completed questionnaires were then sent to the central office in Sana'a or brought by staff when they returned after visiting the teams. In the central office in Sana'a the questionnaires were edited again, and open-ended and other questions requiring coding were coded. This stage started on 22 November 1991 and was completed by the end of January 1992.

Response rate

Of the 13,712 households selected for inclusion in the survey, 13,206 were found and 12,836, or 97 percent, were successfully interviewed. In all, 6,150 ever-married women age 15-49 years were identified in the households selected for individual interviews. Of these, 5,687 women were successfully interviewed and information was collected for 6,715 of 7,022 eligible children under five. The response rates for eligible women and children are 93 and 96 percent, respectively. The response rates for urban and rural areas are almost the same. The main reason for not completing some household interviews was that the dwellings were vacant at the time of fieldwork, although they were occupied when the household listing was carried out. The principal reason for non-response in the case of eligible women was that respondents were not at home despite repeated visits by interviewers to the selected households.

Note: See summarized response rates by place of residence in Table 1.1 of the final survey report.

Sampling error estimates

The results from sample surveys are affected by two types of errors, non-sampling error and sampling error. Non-sampling error is due to mistakes made in carrying out field activities, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, errors in the way the questions are asked, misunderstanding on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, data entry errors, etc. Although efforts were made during the design and implementation of the YDMCHS to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be measured statistically. The sample of women selected in the YDMCHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each one would have yielded results that differed somewhat from the actual sample selected. The sampling error is a measure of the variability between all

In 1925, the crude birth rate of Yemen was 47.4 births per thousand people, meaning that just under five percent of the population would be born in that year. This figure would rise steadily throughout the 1900s, most notably so following reforms by Imam Ahmed in the 1950s, which opened up the country and its economy following a long period of isolationism. As a result, the crude birth rate would rise from approximately fifty births per thousand people in 1950, to over 56 births per thousand by the mid-1970s; between the 1960s and 1990s, Yemen had the second highest crude birth rate in the world, after Niger, and the highest fertility rate in the world (the highest fertility rate ever recorded). These trends have been attributed to a combination of widespread child marriages, denial of female education and turmoil caused by multiple conflicts between the partitioned Yemeni states.

Humanitarian efforts and improvements to the Yemeni healthcare system saw the country's crude birth rate drop significantly from the 1990s onward, and it has continued its decline during the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. Despite the current humanitarian crisis, in 2020, it was estimated that there were just over thirty births per thousand people in Yemen.

Yemen YE: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 64.953 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.743 Year for 2015. Yemen YE: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 57.004 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 64.953 Year in 2016 and a record low of 34.361 Year in 1960. Yemen YE: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Yemen – Table YE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Actual value and historical data chart for Yemen Birth Rate Crude Per 1 000 People

Abstract

The 1997 Yemen Demographic Maternal and Child Health Survey (YDMCHS) is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program. The DHS program is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning and maternal and child health.

The YDMCHS-97 has the following objectives: 1. Provide policymakers and decisionmakers with a reliable database and analyses useful for policy choices and population programs, and provide researchers, other interested persons, and scholars with such data. 2. Update and expand the national population and health data base through collection of data which will allow the calculation of demographic rates, especially fertility rates, and infant and child mortality rates; 3. Analyse the direct and indirect factors which determine levels and trends of fertility. Indicators related to fertility will serve to elaborate plans for social and economic development; 4. Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, by rural and urban residence including some homogeneous governorates (Sana’a, Aden, Hadhramaut, Hodeidah, Hajjah and Lahj). 5. Collect quality data on family health: immunizations, prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under five, prenatal visits, assistance at delivery and breastfeeding; 6. Measure the nutritional status of mothers and their children under five years (anthropometric measurements: weight and height); 7. Measure the level of maternal mortality at the national level. 8. Develop skills and resources necessary to conduct high-quality demographic and health surveys.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

SAMPLE DESIGN

The 1997 YDMCHS was based on a national sample in order to provide estimates for general indicators for the following domains: Yemen as a whole, urban and rural areas (each as a separate domain), three ecological zones identified as Coastal, Mountainous, and Plateau and Desert, as well as governorates with a sample size of at least 500 completed cases. The survey sample was designed as a two-stage cluster sample of 475 enumeration areas (EA), 135 in urban areas and 340 in rural areas. The master sample, based on the 1994 census frame, was used as the frame for the 1997 YDMCHS. The population covered by the Yemen survey was the universe of all ever-married women age 15-49. The initial target sample was 10,000 completed interviews among eligible women, and the final sample was 10,414. In order to get this number of completed interviews, and using the response rate found in the 1991-92 YDMCHS survey, a total of 10,701 of the 11,435 potential households selected for the household sample were completed.

In each selected EA, a complete household listing operation took place between July and September 1997, and was undertaken by nineteen (19) field teams, taking into consideration the geographical closeness of the areas assigned to each team.

Note: See detailed description of sample design in APPENDIX B of the final survey report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Two Questionnaires were used to collect survey data:

Household Questionnaire: The household questionnaire consists of two parts: a household schedule and a series of questions relating to the health and socioeconomic status of the household. The household schedule was used to list all usual household members. For each of the individuals included in the schedule, information was collected on the relationship to the household head, age, sex, marital status (for those 10 years and older), educational level (for those 6 years and older) and work status (for those 10 years and older). It also collects information on fertility, general mortality and child survival. The second part of the household questionnaire included questions on housing characteristics including the type of dwelling, location, materials used in construction, number of rooms, kitchen in use, main source of drinking water and health related aspects, lighting and toilet facilities, disposal of garbage, durable commodities, and assets, type of salt the household uses for cooking, and other related residential information.

Individual Questionnaire: The individual questionnaire was administered to all ever-married women age 15-49 years who were usual residents. It contained 10 sections on the followings topics: - Respondent's background - Reproduction - Family planning - Pregnancy and breastfeeding - Immunization and health - Birth preferences - Marriage and husband's background - Maternal mortality - Female circumcision - Height and weight

Response rate

10,701 households, distributed between urban (3,008 households) and rural areas (7,693), households which were successfully interviewed in the 1997 YDMCHS. This represents a country-wide response rate of 98.2 percent (98.7 and 98.0 percent, respectively, for urban and rural areas).

A total of 11,158 women were identified as eligible to be interviewed. Questionnaires were completed for 10,414 women, which represents a response rate of 93.3 percent. The response rate in urban areas was 93 percent; and in rural areas it was 93.5 percent.

Note: See summarized response rates by place of residence in Table 1.1 of the final survey report.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample surveys are affected by two types of errors: (1) non-sampling error, and (2) sampling error. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the YDMCHS-97 to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the YDMCHS-97 is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of these samples would have yielded results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability between all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

A sampling error is usually measured in terms of standard error of a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus or minus two times the standard error of that statistics in 95 percent of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected as a simple random sample, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the YDMCHS-97 sample is the result of a two-stage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulae. The computer software used to calculate sampling errors for the YDMCHS-97 is the ISSA Sampling Error Module (SAMPERR). This module used the Taylor linearization method of variance estimate for survey estimates that are means or proportions. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimate of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

Note: See detailed estimate of sampling error calculation in APPENDIX C of the final survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables - Household age distribution - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women and men - Completeness of reporting - Births by calendar year - Reporting of age at death in days - Reporting of age at death in months

Note: See detailed tables in APPENDIX D of the final survey report.

The life expectancy experiences significant growth in all gender groups in 2023. As part of the positive trend, the life expectancy reaches the maximum value for the different genders at the end of the comparison period. Particularly noteworthy is the life expectancy of women at birth, which has the highest value of 71.39 years. Life expectancy at birth refers to the number of years that the average newborn can expect to live, providing that mortality patterns at the time of their birth do not change thereafter.Find further similar statistics for other countries or regions like Cameroon and Zambia.