Countries by under-five mortality rate
The Central African Republic had the highest under-five mortality rate of 195 countries in 2020, at 124.2 per 1,000 live births. San Marino had the lowest, at 1.5 per 1,000 live births. The median was 15.6 per 1,000 live births and the figure for the World was 39.2 per 1,000 live births. Source: the World Bank.
Top 40 countries, 2020
Full ranking
| Rank | Countries | 2020 | Change on 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | 124.2 | -130.5 |
| 2 | Niger | 119.5 | -1.3 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 117.4 | 0 |
| 4 | Somalia | 114.7 | -3.7 |
| 5 | Chad | 110.6 | -3.4 |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 104.4 | -3.9 |
| 7 | Guinea | 102.9 | -2.5 |
| 8 | South Sudan | 96.7 | 0 |
| 9 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 92.7 | +0.5 |
| 10 | Liberia | 88.3 | -0.4 |
| 11 | Mali | 87.6 | -4.3 |
| 12 | Burkina Faso | 85.1 | -3 |
| 13 | Benin | 84.6 | -2.4 |
| 14 | Equatorial Guinea | 77.9 | -2.8 |
| 15 | Guinea-Bissau | 76.7 | -2.8 |
| 16 | Cameroon | 74.4 | -2.2 |
| 17 | Côte d’Ivoire | 73 | -2.3 |
| 18 | Mozambique | 67.6 | -1 |
| 19 | Lesotho | 66.3 | -1.8 |
| 20 | Madagascar | 65.1 | +0.1 |
| 21 | Togo | 63.9 | -2.1 |
| 22 | Pakistan | 63.7 | -2.1 |
| 23 | Zimbabwe | 61.7 | +3.1 |
| 24 | Afghanistan | 60.7 | -2 |
| 25 | Haiti | 59.8 | -1.7 |
| 26 | Kiribati | 58.3 | -0.8 |
| 27 | Djibouti | 55.7 | -1.8 |
| 28 | Burundi | 54.3 | -1.9 |
| 28 | Sudan | 54.3 | -1.8 |
| 30 | Angola | 54.2 | -1.1 |
| 31 | Timor-Leste | 53.4 | -1.4 |
| 32 | Zambia | 52.5 | -1 |
| 33 | Ethiopia | 51.5 | -2.1 |
| 34 | Uganda | 50.9 | -0.7 |
| 35 | Eswatini | 50.5 | -1 |
| 36 | Malawi | 50.4 | -0.9 |
| 37 | Gambia | 48.6 | -1.8 |
| 38 | Namibia | 44.8 | -1.8 |
| 39 | Papua New Guinea | 44.7 | -1.4 |
| 40 | Republic of the Congo | 44.5 | -7.7 |
| 41 | Senegal | 44.2 | -2 |
| 42 | Tanzania | 43.8 | -1.8 |
| 43 | Comoros | 43.7 | -1.1 |
| 44 | Yemen | 43.4 | -2.7 |
| 45 | Turkmenistan | 42.9 | -0.6 |
| 46 | Ghana | 42.2 | -1.9 |
| 47 | Kenya | 42.1 | -0.6 |
| 47 | Myanmar | 42.1 | -1.5 |
| 49 | Mauritania | 42 | -1.4 |
| 50 | Rwanda | 41.6 | -1.1 |
| 51 | Eritrea | 39.1 | -1.4 |
| 52 | Botswana | 38.9 | -1.1 |
| 53 | Gabon | 36.8 | -1.7 |
| 54 | Laos | 34.8 | -1.7 |
| 55 | South Africa | 33.9 | -0.4 |
| 56 | Dominica | 33.8 | +0.8 |
| 56 | Dominican Republic | 33.8 | -0.6 |
| 58 | India | 33 | -1.9 |
| 59 | Bangladesh | 31.4 | -0.9 |
| 60 | Marshall Islands | 30.3 | -0.9 |
| 61 | Tajikistan | 30.1 | -0.3 |
| 62 | Nepal | 29.6 | -1.4 |
| 63 | Guyana | 28.6 | -1 |
| 64 | Philippines | 28 | 0 |
| 65 | Fiji | 27.2 | +1.5 |
| 66 | Micronesia | 25.6 | -0.8 |
| 67 | Iraq | 24.9 | -0.8 |
| 68 | Egypt | 24.4 | -0.4 |
| 69 | Venezuela | 24.2 | 0 |
| 70 | Guatemala | 23.5 | -0.8 |
| 71 | Algeria | 22.9 | -0.4 |
| 71 | Palau | 22.9 | -0.1 |
| 73 | Solomon Islands | 22.5 | -0.6 |
| 74 | Syria | 21.9 | -2.7 |
| 74 | Tuvalu | 21.9 | -0.8 |
| 76 | Cambodia | 21.8 | -1 |
| 77 | Azerbaijan | 21.5 | -1.2 |
| 78 | Bhutan | 21.3 | -1.4 |
| 79 | Indonesia | 20.8 | -1 |
| 79 | Trinidad and Tobago | 20.8 | -0.4 |
| 81 | Vietnam | 19.5 | -0.5 |
| 82 | Bolivia | 19.3 | -1.3 |
| 83 | Jamaica | 18.7 | -0.1 |
| 84 | Grenada | 18.6 | +0.1 |
| 84 | Paraguay | 18.6 | -0.6 |
| 86 | Morocco | 18.3 | -0.8 |
| 87 | Saint Lucia | 18.1 | -0.1 |
| 87 | Vanuatu | 18.1 | 0 |
| 89 | Suriname | 17.9 | -0.5 |
| 90 | Kyrgyzstan | 17.8 | -0.5 |
| 90 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 17.8 | -0.4 |
| 92 | North Korea | 17.4 | -0.3 |
| 93 | Honduras | 17.1 | -0.6 |
| 94 | Samoa | 16.7 | -3.3 |
| 95 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 16.1 | -1 |
| 96 | Tunisia | 16 | -0.9 |
| 97 | Mauritius | 15.8 | +0.1 |
| 98 | Moldova | 15.6 | +0.1 |
| 99 | Panama | 15.5 | -0.4 |
| 100 | Palestine | 15.2 | -0.5 |
| 101 | Lebanon | 15.1 | +0.6 |
| 101 | Uzbekistan | 15.1 | -0.6 |
| 103 | Brazil | 14.9 | -0.1 |
| 104 | Mongolia | 14.8 | -0.8 |
| 104 | Seychelles | 14.8 | 0 |
| 106 | Mexico | 14.6 | -0.4 |
| 107 | Jordan | 14.5 | -0.4 |
| 107 | Peru | 14.5 | -0.4 |
| 109 | Nicaragua | 14.2 | -0.1 |
| 110 | British Virgin Islands | 13.8 | -0.4 |
| 111 | Ecuador | 13.6 | -0.2 |
| 111 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 13.6 | -0.7 |
| 113 | Bahamas | 13.3 | -11 |
| 113 | Cape Verde | 13.3 | -0.8 |
| 115 | Belize | 13.2 | -0.3 |
| 116 | Colombia | 13.1 | -0.4 |
| 117 | Iran | 13 | -0.4 |
| 118 | El Salvador | 11.7 | -0.5 |
| 119 | Armenia | 11.6 | -0.5 |
| 120 | Libya | 11.2 | -0.4 |
| 121 | Barbados | 11.1 | -0.3 |
| 122 | Nauru | 10.9 | -1.1 |
| 122 | Türkiye | 10.9 | -0.4 |
| 124 | Oman | 10.7 | -0.1 |
| 125 | Tonga | 10.6 | -0.3 |
| 126 | Brunei | 10.4 | -0.1 |
| 127 | Argentina | 10.3 | -0.2 |
| 128 | Antigua and Barbuda | 10.1 | -0.2 |
| 128 | Kazakhstan | 10.1 | -0.1 |
| 128 | Thailand | 10.1 | -0.3 |
| 131 | Albania | 9.4 | 0 |
| 131 | Georgia | 9.4 | -0.2 |
| 133 | Costa Rica | 9.3 | +0.2 |
| 134 | Kuwait | 8.8 | -0.1 |
| 135 | Ukraine | 8.4 | -0.1 |
| 136 | Malaysia | 8.2 | 0 |
| 137 | Bahrain | 8 | +0.2 |
| 138 | China | 7.5 | -0.5 |
| 139 | Uruguay | 7.3 | -0.2 |
| 140 | Cuba | 7.2 | +0.3 |
| 141 | Maldives | 6.9 | -0.5 |
| 141 | Saudi Arabia | 6.9 | -0.3 |
| 141 | Sri Lanka | 6.9 | -0.3 |
| 144 | Chile | 6.8 | -0.2 |
| 145 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6.6 | -0.1 |
| 146 | Bulgaria | 6.5 | -0.2 |
| 146 | Romania | 6.5 | -0.3 |
| 146 | United States | 6.5 | 0 |
| 149 | Qatar | 6.3 | -0.3 |
| 150 | Malta | 6 | -0.1 |
| 150 | North Macedonia | 6 | -1.1 |
| 152 | Slovakia | 5.9 | 0 |
| 152 | United Arab Emirates | 5.9 | -0.4 |
| 154 | Russia | 5.7 | -0.3 |
| 155 | Serbia | 5.5 | -0.1 |
| 156 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 5.3 | -0.2 |
| 157 | Canada | 5.2 | 0 |
| 158 | New Zealand | 5.1 | -0.1 |
| 159 | Croatia | 4.7 | 0 |
| 160 | Poland | 4.4 | -0.1 |
| 160 | United Kingdom | 4.4 | 0 |
| 162 | France | 4.2 | 0 |
| 163 | Greece | 4.1 | 0 |
| 164 | Hungary | 4 | -0.1 |
| 164 | Netherlands | 4 | 0 |
| 164 | Switzerland | 4 | 0 |
| 167 | Belgium | 3.9 | 0 |
| 168 | Australia | 3.8 | 0 |
| 169 | Denmark | 3.7 | -0.1 |
| 169 | Germany | 3.7 | 0 |
| 169 | Lithuania | 3.7 | -0.2 |
| 172 | Latvia | 3.6 | -0.3 |
| 173 | Ireland | 3.5 | +0.1 |
| 173 | Israel | 3.5 | -0.1 |
| 175 | Austria | 3.4 | -0.1 |
| 175 | Portugal | 3.4 | -0.1 |
| 177 | Cyprus | 3.3 | +0.3 |
| 178 | Spain | 3.2 | 0 |
| 179 | South Korea | 3.1 | 0 |
| 180 | Italy | 3 | -0.1 |
| 180 | Monaco | 3 | -0.1 |
| 182 | Andorra | 2.9 | -0.1 |
| 182 | Belarus | 2.9 | -0.2 |
| 182 | Czechia | 2.9 | -0.1 |
| 182 | Montenegro | 2.9 | -0.2 |
| 186 | Iceland | 2.8 | 0 |
| 187 | Sweden | 2.6 | 0 |
| 188 | Estonia | 2.4 | -0.1 |
| 188 | Finland | 2.4 | 0 |
| 188 | Japan | 2.4 | -0.1 |
| 188 | Luxembourg | 2.4 | 0 |
| 188 | Norway | 2.4 | 0 |
| 188 | Singapore | 2.4 | -0.1 |
| 188 | Slovenia | 2.4 | 0 |
| 195 | San Marino | 1.5 | 0 |
Other periods
About this ranking
Probability that a newborn dies before reaching age five, per 1,000 live births, if subject to the age-specific mortality of the year.
Includes infant deaths, so it is always higher than the infant mortality rate.
Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.
How to cite
World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Mortality rate, under-5, per 1,000 live births (SH.DYN.MORT). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
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Rank Countries by under-five mortality rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"under5_mortality_rate","level":"country","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=under5_mortality_rate&level=country&limit=10
Questions
Which country has the highest under-five mortality rate?
The Central African Republic, with 124.2 per 1,000 live births in 2020, according to the World Bank.
Which country has the lowest under-five mortality rate?
San Marino, with 1.5 per 1,000 live births in 2020.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Mortality rate, under-5, per 1,000 live births (SH.DYN.MORT). Retrieved 2026-10-11.