Ethiopia ET: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 52.100 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 57.400 Ratio for 2015. Ethiopia ET: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 75.700 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 188.500 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 52.100 Ratio in 2017. Ethiopia ET: 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 Ethiopia – Table ET.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.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Ethiopia was 35.7. Between 1966 and 2023, the figure dropped by 122.3, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Ethiopia was reported at 46.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The number of under-5, infant, and neonatal deaths in 1990, 2015, 2019 and rate of change in Ethiopia and administrative regions.

Mortality rate, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births) in Ethiopia was reported at 52.3 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Mortality rate, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Ethiopia ET: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 36.000 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37.400 Ratio for 2015. Ethiopia ET: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 47.400 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 108.700 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 36.000 Ratio in 2016. Ethiopia ET: 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 Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank: 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.

Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) in Ethiopia was reported at 40.3 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ethiopia - Mortality rate, under-5, female (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The infant mortality rate in Ethiopia decreased by 1.3 deaths per 1,000 live births (-3.51 percent) compared to the previous year. Therefore, the infant mortality rate in Ethiopia saw its lowest number in that year with 35.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate is the number of newborns who do not survive past the first 12 months of life. This is generally expressed as a value per 1,000 live births, and also includes neonatal mortality (deaths within the first 28 days of life).Find more statistics on other topics about Ethiopia with key insights such as total life expectancy at birth, death rate, and crude birth rate.

Ethiopia ET: Number of Death: Under-5 data was reported at 188,690.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 195,563.000 Person for 2016. Ethiopia ET: Number of Death: Under-5 data is updated yearly, averaging 384,106.000 Person from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 441,491.000 Person in 1992 and a record low of 188,690.000 Person in 2017. Ethiopia ET: Number of Death: Under-5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank: Health Statistics. Number of children dying before reaching age five.; ; 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;

In 2023, the death rate in deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia amounted to ****. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by *****, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

BackgroundGlobally, with a neonatal mortality rate of 27/1000 live births, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate in the world and is responsible for 43% of all infant fatalities. In the first week of life, almost three-fourths of neonatal deaths occur and about one million babies died on their first day of life. Previous studies lack conclusive evidence regarding the overall estimate of early neonatal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this review aimed to pool findings reported in the literature on magnitude of early neonatal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThis review’s output is the aggregate of magnitude of early neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Up until June 8, 2023, we performed a comprehensive search of the databases PubMed/Medline, PubMed Central, Hinary, Google, Cochrane Library, African Journals Online, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The studies were evaluated using the JBI appraisal check list. STATA 17 was employed for the analysis. Measures of study heterogeneity and publication bias were conducted using the I2 test and the Eggers and Beggs tests, respectively. The Der Simonian and Laird random-effect model was used to calculate the combined magnitude of early neonatal mortality. Besides, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta regression were carried out to identify the source of heterogeneity.ResultsFourteen studies were included from a total of 311 articles identified by the search with a total of 278,173 participants. The pooled magnitude of early neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa was 80.3 (95% CI 66 to 94.6) per 1000 livebirths. Ethiopia had the highest pooled estimate of early neonatal mortality rate, at 20.1%, and Cameroon had the lowest rate, at 0.5%. Among the included studies, both the Cochrane Q test statistic (χ2 = 6432.46, P

Abstract

The 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) is a nationwide survey with a nationally representative sample of 9,150 selected households. All women age 15-49 who were usual members of the selected households and those who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible to be interviewed in the survey. In the selected households, all children under age 5 were eligible for height and weight measurements. The survey was designed to produce reliable estimates of key indicators at the national level as well as for urban and rural areas and each of the 11 regions in Ethiopia.

The primary objective of the 2019 EMDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of key demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the main objectives of the survey are: ▪ To collect high-quality data on contraceptive use; maternal and child health; infant, child, and neonatal mortality levels; child nutrition; and other health issues relevant to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ▪ To collect information on health-related matters such as breastfeeding, maternal and child care (antenatal, delivery, and postnatal), children’s immunizations, and childhood diseases ▪ To assess the nutritional status of children under age 5 by measuring weight and height

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Health facility

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 and all children aged 0-5 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2019 EMDHS is a frame of all census enumeration areas (EAs) created for the 2019 Ethiopia Population and Housing Census (EPHC) and conducted by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA). The census frame is a complete list of the 149,093 EAs created for the 2019 EPHC. An EA is a geographic area covering an average of 131 households. The sampling frame contains information about EA location, type of residence (urban or rural), and estimated number of residential households.

Administratively, Ethiopia is divided into nine geographical regions and two administrative cities. The sample for the 2019 EMDHS was designed to provide estimates of key indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, and for each of the nine regions and the two administrative cities.

The 2019 EMDHS sample was stratified and selected in two stages. Each region was stratified into urban and rural areas, yielding 21 sampling strata. Samples of EAs were selected independently in each stratum in two stages. Implicit stratification and proportional allocation were achieved at each of the lower administrative levels by sorting the sampling frame within each sampling stratum before sample selection, according to administrative units in different levels, and by using a probability proportional to size selection at the first stage of sampling.

To ensure that survey precision was comparable across regions, sample allocation was done through an equal allocation wherein 25 EAs were selected from eight regions. However, 35 EAs were selected from each of the three larger regions: Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).

In the first stage, a total of 305 EAs (93 in urban areas and 212 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size (based on the 2019 EPHC frame) and with independent selection in each sampling stratum. A household listing operation was carried out in all selected EAs from January through April 2019. The resulting lists of households served as a sampling frame for the selection of households in the second stage. Some of the selected EAs for the 2019 EMDHS were large, with more than 300 households. To minimise the task of household listing, each large EA selected for the 2019 EMDHS was segmented. Only one segment was selected for the survey, with probability proportional to segment size. Household listing was conducted only in the selected segment; that is, a 2019 EMDHS cluster is either an EA or a segment of an EA.

In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 30 households per cluster were selected with an equal probability systematic selection from the newly created household listing. All women age 15-49 who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who slept in the household the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. In all selected households, height and weight measurements were collected from children age 0-59 months, and women age 15-49 were interviewed using the Woman’s Questionnaire.

For further details on sample selection, see Appendix A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used for the 2019 EMDHS: (1) the Household Questionnaire, (2) the Woman’s Questionnaire, (3) the Anthropometry Questionnaire, (4) the Health Facility Questionnaire, and (5) the Fieldworker’s Questionnaire. These questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s standard questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Ethiopia. They were shortened substantially to collect data on indicators of particular relevance to Ethiopia and donors to child health programmes.

Cleaning operations

All electronic data files were transferred via the secure internet file streaming system (IFSS) to the EPHI central office in Addis Ababa, where they were stored on a password-protected computer. The data processing operation included secondary editing, which required resolution of computer-identified inconsistencies and coding of open-ended questions. The data were processed by EPHI staff members and an ICF consultant who took part in the main fieldwork training. They were supervised remotely by staff from The DHS Program. Data editing was accomplished using CSPro System software. During the fieldwork, field-check tables were generated to check various data quality parameters, and specific feedback was given to the teams to improve performance. Secondary editing, double data entry from both the anthropometry and health facility questionnaires, and data processing were initiated in April 2019 and completed in July 2019.

Response rate

A total of 9,150 households were selected for the sample, of which 8,794 were occupied. Of the occupied households, 8,663 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%.

In the interviewed households, 9,012 eligible women were identified for individual interviews; interviews were completed with 8,885 women, yielding a response rate of 99%. Overall, there was little variation in response rates according to residence; however, rates were slightly higher in rural than in urban areas.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: nonsampling errors and sampling errors. Nonsampling 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 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) to minimize this type of error, nonsampling 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 2019 EMDHS 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 yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability among all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for 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 statistic in 95% 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 2019 EMDHS sample is the result of a multi-stage stratified design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. Sampling errors are computed in SAS, using programs developed by ICF. These programs use the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility and mortality rates.

Note: A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables

• Household age distribution

- Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women

Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-14 Years: per 1000 Children Age 5 data was reported at 13.700 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.400 Ratio for 2015. Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-14 Years: per 1000 Children Age 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 23.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 79.000 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 13.700 Ratio in 2017. Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-14 Years: per 1000 Children Age 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 5-14 years of age expressed per 1,000 children aged 5, 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;

Abstract

The 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) is the fourth Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Ethiopia. It was implemented by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) at the request of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH). Data collection took place from January 18, 2016, to June 27, 2016.

SURVEY OBJECTIVES The primary objective of the 2016 EDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of key demographic and health indicators. The EDHS provides a comprehensive overview of population, maternal, and child health issues in Ethiopia. More specifically, the 2016 EDHS: - Collected data at the national level that allowed calculation of key demographic indicators, particularly fertility and under-5 and adult mortality rates - Explored the direct and indirect factors that determine levels and trends of fertility and child mortality - Measured levels of contraceptive knowledge and practice - Collected data on key aspects of family health, including immunisation coverage among children, prevalence and treatment of diarrhoea and other diseases among children under age 5, and maternity care indicators such as antenatal visits and assistance at delivery - Obtained data on child feeding practices, including breastfeeding - Collected anthropometric measures to assess the nutritional status of children under age 5, women age 15-49, and men age 15-59 - Conducted haemoglobin testing on eligible children age 6-59 months, women age 15-49, and men age 15-59 to provide information on the prevalence of anaemia in these groups - Collected data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS and evaluated potential exposure to the risk of HIV infection by exploring high-risk behaviours and condom use - Conducted HIV testing of dried blood spot (DBS) samples collected from women age 15-49 and men age 15-59 to provide information on the prevalence of HIV among adults of reproductive age - Collected data on the prevalence of injuries and accidents among all household members - Collected data on knowledge and prevalence of fistula and female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) among women age 15-49 and their daughters age 0-14 - Obtained data on women’s experience of emotional, physical, and sexual violence.

As the fourth DHS conducted in Ethiopia, following the 2000, 2005, and 2011 EDHS surveys, the 2016 EDHS provides valuable information on trends in key demographic and health indicators over time. The information collected through the 2016 EDHS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies for improving the health of the country’s population.

Additionally, the 2016 EDHS included a health facility component that recorded data on children’s vaccinations, which were then combined with the household data on vaccinations.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Households
• Men
• Women
• Children

Universe

Household members women age 15-49 men age 15-59 children under age 5

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the 2016 EDHS is the Ethiopia Population and Housing Census (PHC), which was conducted in 2007 by the Ethiopia Central Statistical Agency. The census frame is a complete list of 84,915 enumeration areas (EAs) created for the 2007 PHC. An EA is a geographic area covering on average 181 households. The sampling frame contains information about the EA location, type of residence (urban or rural), and estimated number of residential households. With the exception of EAs in six zones of the Somali region, each EA has accompanying cartographic materials. These materials delineate geographic locations, boundaries, main access, and landmarks in or outside the EA that help identify the EA. In Somali, a cartographic frame was used in three zones where sketch maps delineating the EA geographic boundaries were available for each EA; in the remaining six zones, satellite image maps were used to provide a map for each EA.

Administratively, Ethiopia is divided into nine geographical regions and two administrative cities. The sample for the 2016 EDHS was designed to provide estimates of key indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, and for each of the nine regions and the two administrative cities.

The 2016 EDHS sample was stratified and selected in two stages. Each region was stratified into urban and rural areas, yielding 21 sampling strata. Samples of EAs were selected independently in each stratum in two stages. Implicit stratification and proportional allocation were achieved at each of the lower administrative levels by sorting the sampling frame within each sampling stratum before sample selection, according to administrative units in different levels, and by using a probability proportional to size selection at the first stage of sampling.

In the first stage, a total of 645 EAs (202 in urban areas and 443 in rural areas) were selected with probability proportional to EA size (based on the 2007 PHC) and with independent selection in each sampling stratum. A household listing operation was carried out in all of the selected EAs from September to December 2015. The resulting lists of households served as a sampling frame for the selection of households in the second stage. Some of the selected EAs were large, consisting of more than 300 households. To minimise the task of household listing, each large EA selected for the 2016 EDHS was segmented. Only one segment was selected for the survey with probability proportional to segment size. Household listing was conducted only in the selected segment; that is, a 2016 EDHS cluster is either an EA or a segment of an EA.

In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 28 households per cluster were selected with an equal probability systematic selection from the newly created household listing. All women age 15-49 and all men age 15-59 who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who stayed in the household the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed. In half of the selected households, all women age 15-49 were eligible for the FGM/C module, and only one woman per household was selected for the domestic violence module. In all of the selected households, height and weight measurements were collected from children age 0-59 months, women age 15-49, and men age 15-59. Anaemia testing was performed on consenting women age 15-49 and men age 15-59 and on children age 6-59 months whose parent/guardian consented to the testing. In addition, DBS samples were collected for HIV testing in the laboratory from women age 15-49 and men age 15-59 who consented to testing.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used for the 2016 EDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, the Biomarker Questionnaire, and the Health Facility Questionnaire. These questionnaires, based on the DHS Program’s standard Demographic and Health Survey questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Ethiopia. Input was solicited from various stakeholders representing government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organisations, and international donors. After all questionnaires were finalised in English, they were translated into Amarigna, Tigrigna, and Oromiffa.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all members of and visitors to selected households. Basic demographic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including his or her age, sex, marital status, education, and relationship to the head of the household. For children under age 18, parents’ survival status was determined. The data on age and sex of household members obtained in the Household Questionnaire were used to identify women and men who were eligible for individual interviews. The Household Questionnaire also collected information on characteristics of the household’s dwelling unit, such as source of water, type of toilet facilities, and flooring materials, as well as on ownership of various durable goods. The Household Questionnaire included an additional module developed by the DHS Program to estimate the prevalence of injuries/accidents among all household members.

The Woman’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from all eligible women age 15-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: - Background characteristics (including age, education, and media exposure) - Birth history and childhood mortality - Family planning, including knowledge, use, and sources of contraceptive methods - Fertility preferences - Antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care - Breastfeeding and infant feeding practices - Vaccinations and childhood illnesses - Women’s work and husbands’ background characteristics - Knowledge, awareness, and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) - Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to other health issues (e.g., injections, smoking, use of chat) - Adult and maternal mortality - Female genital mutilation or cutting - Fistula - Violence against women The Man’s Questionnaire was administered to all eligible men age 15-59. This questionnaire collected much of the same information elicited from the Woman’s Questionnaire but was shorter because it did not contain a detailed reproductive history, questions on maternal and child health, or questions on domestic violence. The Biomarker Questionnaire was used to record biomarker data

Association between child mortality and explanatory variables in children under age 5 in Dabat, rural Ethiopia.

Variability at community-level and model comparison for perinatal mortality among women’s in the 5 years preceding the survey in Ethiopia, EDHS, 2016.

The death rate in Ethiopia decreased to 5.96 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the previous year. Therefore, 2023 marks the lowest death rate during the observed period. Notably, the death rate is continuously decreasing over the last years.The crude death rate is the annual number of deaths divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about Ethiopia with key insights such as infant mortality rate, total fertility rate, and total life expectancy at birth.

Ethiopia ET: Number of Deaths Ages 5-9 Years data was reported at 17,613.000 Person in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18,226.000 Person for 2018. Ethiopia ET: Number of Deaths Ages 5-9 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 49,889.500 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 84,307.000 Person in 1990 and a record low of 17,613.000 Person in 2019. Ethiopia ET: Number of Deaths Ages 5-9 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Number of deaths of children ages 5-9 years; ; 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; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Abstract

The authors combine data from 84 Demographic and Health Surveys from 46 countries to analyze trends and socioeconomic differences in adult mortality, calculating mortality based on the sibling mortality reports collected from female respondents aged 15-49.

The analysis yields four main findings. First, adult mortality is different from child mortality: while under-5 mortality shows a definite improving trend over time, adult mortality does not, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The second main finding is the increase in adult mortality in Sub-Saharan African countries. The increase is dramatic among those most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Mortality rates in the highest HIV-prevalence countries of southern Africa exceed those in countries that experienced episodes of civil war. Third, even in Sub-Saharan countries where HIV-prevalence is not as high, mortality rates appear to be at best stagnating, and even increasing in several cases. Finally, the main socioeconomic dimension along which mortality appears to differ in the aggregate is gender. Adult mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa have risen substantially higher for men than for women?especially so in the high HIV-prevalence countries. On the whole, the data do not show large gaps by urban/rural residence or by school attainment.

This paper is a product of the Human Development and Public Services Team, Development Research Group. It is part of a larger effort by the World Bank to provide open access to its research and make a contribution to development policy discussions around the world. Policy Research Working Papers are also posted on the Web at http://econ.worldbank.org.

Geographic coverage

We derive estimates of adult mortality from an analysis of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 46 countries, 33 of which are from Sub-Saharan Africa and 13 of which are from countries in other regions (Annex Table). Several of the countries have been surveyed more than once and we base our estimates on the total of 84 surveys that have been carried out (59 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 25 elsewhere).

The countries covered by DHS in Sub-Saharan Africa represent almost 90 percent of the region's population. Outside of Sub-Saharan Africa the DHS surveys we use cover a far smaller share of the population-even if this is restricted to countries whose GDP per capita never exceeds $10,000: overall about 14 percent of the population is covered by these countries, although this increases to 29 percent if China and India are excluded (countries for which we cannot calculate adult mortality using the DHS). It is therefore important to keep in mind that the sample of non-Sub-Saharan African countries we have cannot be thought of as "representative" of the rest of the world, or even the rest of the developing world.

Analysis unit

Country

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Cleaning operations

In the course of carrying out this study, the authors created two databases of adult mortality estimates based on the original DHS datasets, both of which are publicly available for analysts who wish to carry out their own analysis of the data.

The naming conventions for the adult mortality-related are as follows. Variables are named:

GGG_MC_AAAA

GGG refers to the population subgroup. The values it can take, and the corresponding definitions are in the following table:

All - All Fem - Female Mal - Male Rur - Rural Urb - Urban Rurm - Rural/Male Urbm - Urban/Male Rurf - Rural/Female Urbf - Urban/Female Noed - No education Pri - Some or completed primary only Sec - At least some secondary education Noedm - No education/Male Prim - Some or completed primary only/Male Secm - At least some secondary education/Male Noedf - No education/Female Prif - Some or completed primary only/Female Secf - At least some secondary education/Female Rch - Rural as child Uch - Urban as child Rchm - Rural as child/Male Uchm - Urban as child/Male Rchf - Rural as child/Female Uchf - Urban as child/Female Edltp - Less than primary schooling Edpom - Primary or more schooling Edltpm - Less than primary schooling/Male Edpomm - Primary or more schooling/Male Edltpf - Less than primary schooling/Female Edpomf - Primary or more schooling/Female Edltpu - Less than primary schooling/Urban Edpomu - Primary or more schooling/Urban Edltpr - Less than primary schooling/Rural Edpomr - Primary or more schooling/Rural Edltpmu - Less than primary schooling/Male/Urban Edpommu - Primary or more schooling/Male/Urban Edltpmr - Less than primary schooling/Male/Rural Edpommr - Primary or more schooling/Male/Rural Edltpfu - Less than primary schooling/Female/Urban Edpomfu - Primary or more schooling/Female/Urban Edltpfr - Less than primary schooling/Female/Rural Edpomfr - Primary or more schooling/Female/Rural

M refers to whether the variable is the number of observations used to calculate the estimate (in which case M takes on the value "n") or whether it is a mortality estimate (in which case M takes on the value "m").

C refers to whether the variable is for the unadjusted mortality rate calculation (in which case C takes on the value "u") or whether it adjusts for the number of surviving female siblings (in which case C takes on the value "a").

AAAA refers to the age group that the mortality estimate is calculated for. It takes on the values: 1554 - Ages 15-54 1524 - Ages 15-24 2534 - Ages 25-34 3544 - Ages 35-44 4554 - Ages 45-54

Other variables that are in the databases are:

period - Period for which mortality rate is calculated (takes on the values 1975-79, 1980-84 … 2000-04) svycountry - Name of country for DHS countries ccode3 - Country code u5mr - Under-5 mortality (from World Development Indicators) cname - Country name gdppc - GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) (from World Development Indicators) gdppcppp - GDP per capita PPP (constant 2005 intl $) (from World Development Indicators) pop - Population (from World Development Indicators) hivprev2001 - HIV prevalence in 2001 (from UNAIDS 2010) region - Region

Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-9 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 5.900 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.200 Ratio for 2018. Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-9 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 20.900 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.800 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 5.900 Ratio in 2019. Ethiopia ET: Probability of Dying at Age 5-9 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ethiopia – Table ET.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 5-9 years of age expressed per 1,000 children aged 5, 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; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.