UNICEF's country profile for Netherlands (Kingdom of the), including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

In 2022, the infant mortality rate in the Netherlands was 3.2. This means that out of every 1,000 newborns, just over three had died before their first birthday. Infant mortality was lowest in the most recent period. In total, nearly 179,000 babies were born in 2021.

 Steadily declining infant mortality  

Despite a slight increase in infant mortality in the last two years, medical developments have ensured a remarkable decrease in the number of children dying in their infancy. In 1950, out of every 1,000 live born babies nearly 27 would die in their first year. This was over seven times as high as today.

Infant mortality in Western Europe  

The infant mortality rate in the Netherlands is comparable to other Western European countries. In the United Kingdom for example, the infant mortality rate was four in 2019, whereas France had a mortality rate of 3.3 in 2020. A slightly lower infant mortality was observed in neighboring Belgium, where the mortality rate was 2.7 in 2019.

This table includes key figures on mortality in the Dutch population broken down by gender. The figures include totals and ratios of deceased persons, infant mortality, mortality in babies younger than 4 weeks and perinatal mortality (after a gestation period of 24 weeks or more and after a gestation period of 28 weeks or more). The table also presents figures on life expectancy at birth and average age at death.

For additional information on Mortality the reader is referred to the Dutch tables.

Data available from: 1950

Status of the figures: All data recorded in this publication are final data.

Changes as of 15 August 2025: The final figures of 2023 and 2024 are added to the table.

When will new figures be published? In the third quarter of 2026 final figures of 2025 will be published in this publication.

The infant mortality rate in the Netherlands, for children under the age of one year old, was 164 deaths per thousand births in 1840. This meant that of all babies born in 1840, over 16 percent did not survive past their first birthday. This rate gradually rose in the following 35 years, reaching it's highest recorded point in 1875, where it was over 211 deaths per thousand births. Over the next century and a half, the infant mortality rate in the Netherlands dropped significantly, reaching three deaths per thousand births in the period between 2015 and 2020.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Netherlands Infant Mortality Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1960-12-31 to 2023-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 3.500 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.600 Ratio for 2015. Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 4.100 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.700 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 3.500 Ratio in 2016. Netherlands NL: 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 Netherlands – Table NL.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 Netherlands infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in the Netherlands amounted to 3.5. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 12.9, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

The child mortality rate in the Netherlands, for children under the age of five, was 324 deaths per thousand births in 1800. This means that just under one third of all children born in 1860 did not make it to their fifth birthday. Child mortality reached its highest recorded level in the Netherlands in the late nineteenth century, as rapid industrialization led to increased urbanization, which in turn allowed diseases to spread much faster, although it did decrease from 1875 until today. The only times where the rate deviated were in the 1910s and 1940s, due to the Spanish Flu pandemic and the Second World War. By 2020, the child mortality rate of the Netherlands is expected to be just three deaths per thousand.

Actual value and historical data chart for Netherlands Mortality Rate Infant Female Per 1000 Live Births

Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 4.200 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.300 Ratio for 2015. Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 4.900 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.400 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.200 Ratio in 2016. Netherlands NL: 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 Netherlands – Table NL.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.

The Netherlands: Infant deaths per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 3 deaths per 1000 live births, unchanged from 3 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 Netherlands from 1960 to 2022 is 8 deaths per 1000 live births. The minimum value, 3 deaths per 1000 live births, was reached in 2019 while the maximum of 16 deaths per 1000 live births was recorded in 1960.

In 2020, the infant mortality rate in the Netherlands was **** deaths per 1000 live births. Between 1980 and 2022, the annual infant mortality rate in the Netherlands decreased from approximately eight deaths per 1,000 live births to approximately three. The infant mortality rate is an indicator used for several reasons, one of them is health assessment, providing an insight into the overall healthcare system. Other reasons include public health policy, quality of life, and global comparisons.

Historical dataset showing Sint Maarten (Dutch part) infant mortality rate by year from N/A to N/A.

Infant mortality, live births and infant mortality rates by municipality in the Netherlands in the periods 1841-1860, 1861-1874, 1875-1884, 1885-1894, 1895-1903, 1904-1913, 1914-1923, 1924-1933, 1934-1939. MS Excel dataset including description in English; additional PDF document in Dutch.

Netherlands NL: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 572.000 Person in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 588.000 Person for 2015. Netherlands NL: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 1,344.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,000.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 572.000 Person in 2016. Netherlands NL: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.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;

Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data was reported at 3.000 NA in 2050. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.000 NA for 2049. Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data is updated yearly, averaging 3.400 NA from Jun 1995 (Median) to 2050, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.700 NA in 1996 and a record low of 3.000 NA in 2050. Netherlands NL: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

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

Actual value and historical data chart for Netherlands Number Of Infant Deaths

Netherlands NL: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 7.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 7.000 Ratio for 2014. Netherlands NL: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 12.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.000 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 7.000 Ratio in 2015. Netherlands NL: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.