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.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in the United Kingdom was four. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 18.9, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 September of 2025.

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

UK: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 4.300 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.400 Ratio for 2016. UK: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 10.150 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.600 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 4.300 Ratio in 2017. UK: 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 United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: 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.

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

Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.

Infant mortality rate of United Kingdom rose by 2.56% from 3.9 deaths per thousand live births in 2022 to 4.0 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.

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.

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

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

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