Health > Death rates > Children under 5: Countries Compared
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Author: chris.lockyer781
The under-five mortality rate is the risk of a child dying before reaching five years of age. It is calculated as the number of children below five years in a given calendar year divided by the number of live births in the same year which is then multiplied by 1,000. It is the most important indicator of child health in a country.
Description:
In developed countries, the under-five mortality is at 7 per 1000 while in the least developed countries, it is as high as 63 per 1000. The mortality rate of children below five is increased in children who are poor, those who live in rural areas, and those whose mothers have not received basic education.
The risk of dying is highest during the neonatal period or the first month of life. Neonatal deaths account for about 40% of under-five deaths. These are caused by preterm birth, complications during birth such as asphyxia, and severe infection.
After the neonatal period, the top causes of under-five deaths are pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. Five million children under five years of age die annually of pneumonia. Diarrhea causes 17% of under five deaths. Measles, malaria and AIDS account for 15%. Malnutrition makes children susceptible to severe disease and is an underlying factor in 45% of under-five deaths.
Children in the African region have the highest under-five death rates worldwide. These children are 16 times more likely to die compared to children in developed nations. The high under-five mortality rate in poorer nations is due to lack of access to basic health care and poor or delayed care-seeking. Poor nutrition and sanitation are also major underlying factors. It is estimated that improvement of health services can prevent up to 60% of under-five deaths.
Citations:
1) WHO: Under five mortality. http://www.who.int/gho/childhealth/mortality/mortalityunderfivetext/en/
2) WHO: Children: reducing mortality. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/
3) Under five mortality rate. http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mi/wiki/4-1-Under-five-mortality-rate.ashx
4) The under five mortality rate. http://www.unicef.org/sowc08/docs/sowc08_panels.pdf
CONTENTS
| # | COUNTRY | AMOUNT | DATE | GRAPH | HISTORY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 209 | 2009 | ||
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 198.6 | 2009 | ||
| 3 | Guinea-Bissau | 192.6 | 2009 | ||
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 192.3 | 2009 | ||
| 5 | Mali | 191.1 | 2009 | ||
| 6 | Somalia | 180 | 2009 | ||
| 7 | Central African Republic | 170.8 | 2009 | ||
| 8 | Burkina Faso | 166.4 | 2009 | ||
| 9 | Burundi | 166.3 | 2009 | ||
| 10 | Angola | 160.5 | 2009 | ||
| 11 | Niger | 160.3 | 2009 | ||
| 12 | Cameroon | 154.3 | 2009 | ||
| 13 | Equatorial Guinea | 145.1 | 2009 | ||
| 14 | Mozambique | 141.9 | 2009 | ||
| 15 | Guinea | 141.5 | 2009 | ||
| 16 | Zambia | 141.3 | 2009 | ||
| 17 | Nigeria | 137.9 | 2009 | ||
| failed states average (profile) | 135.68 | 2009 | |||
| 18 | Congo, Republic of the | 128.2 | 2009 | ||
| 19 | Uganda | 127.5 | 2009 | ||
| 20 | Cote d'Ivoire | 118.5 | 2009 | ||
| 21 | Benin | 118 | 2009 | ||
| 22 | Mauritania | 117.1 | 2009 | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa average (profile) | 113.96 | 2009 | |||
| 23 | Liberia | 112 | 2009 | ||
| 24 | Rwanda | 110.8 | 2009 | ||
| 25 | Malawi | 110 | 2009 | ||
| 26 | Sudan | 108.2 | 2009 | ||
| 27 | Tanzania | 107.9 | 2009 | ||
| 28 | Ethiopia | 104.4 | 2009 | ||
| 29 | Comoros | 104 | 2009 | ||
| 30 | The Gambia | 102.8 | 2009 | ||
| Former French colonies average (profile) | 98.99 | 2009 | |||
| 31 | Togo | 97.5 | 2009 | ||
| 32 | Djibouti | 93.5 | 2009 | ||
| 33 | Senegal | 92.8 | 2009 | ||
| 34 | Zimbabwe | 89.5 | 2009 | ||
| 35 | Cambodia | 87.5 | 2009 | ||
| 36 | Pakistan | 87 | 2009 | ||
| 37 | Haiti | 86.7 | 2009 | ||
| 38 | Kenya | 84 | 2009 | ||
| 39 | Lesotho | 83.5 | 2009 | ||
| 40 | Bhutan | 78.6 | 2009 | ||
| 41 | Sao Tome and Principe | 77.8 | 2009 | ||
| 42 | Swaziland | 73 | 2009 | ||
| 43 | Burma | 71.2 | 2009 | ||
| South Asia average (profile) | 70.8 | 2009 | |||
| 44 | Gabon | 68.9 | 2009 | ||
| 45 | Ghana | 68.5 | 2009 | ||
| 46 | Papua New Guinea | 68.3 | 2009 | ||
| Landlocked countries average (profile) | 66.04 | 2009 | |||
| Muslim countries average (profile) | 65.64 | 2009 | |||
| 47 | India | 65.6 | 2009 | ||
| Hot countries average (profile) | 62.99 | 2009 | |||
| 48 | South Africa | 61.9 | 2009 | ||
| 49 | Tajikistan | 61.2 | 2009 | ||
| 50 | Laos | 58.6 | 2009 | ||
| 51 | Madagascar | 57.7 | 2009 | ||
| 52 | Botswana | 56.9 | 2009 | ||
| 53 | East Timor | 56.4 | 2009 | ||
| 54 | Eritrea | 55.2 | 2009 | ||
| 55 | Bangladesh | 52 | 2009 | ||
| 56 | Bolivia | 51.2 | 2009 | ||
| Former British colonies average (profile) | 50.4 | 2009 | |||
| 57 | Nepal | 48.2 | 2009 | ||
| 58 | Namibia | 47.5 | 2009 | ||
| South and Central Asia average (profile) | 47.23 | 2009 | |||
| 59 | Kiribati | 46.2 | 2009 | ||
| OPEC countries average (profile) | 45.93 | 2009 | |||
| 60 | Turkmenistan | 45.3 | 2009 | ||
| Religious countries average (profile) | 44.45 | 2009 | |||
| 61 | Iraq | 43.5 | 2009 | ||
| 62 | Guatemala | 39.8 | 2009 | ||
| 63 | Indonesia | 38.9 | 2009 | ||
| Christian countries average (profile) | 38.09 | 2009 | |||
| 64 | Morocco | 37.5 | 2009 | ||
| 65 | Kyrgyzstan | 36.6 | 2009 | ||
| 66 | Uzbekistan | 36.1 | 2009 | ||
| 67 | Solomon Islands | 35.8 | 2009 | ||
| 68 | Marshall Islands | 35.4 | 2009 | ||
| =69 | Guyana | 35.3 | 2009 | ||
| =69 | Trinidad and Tobago | 35.3 | 2009 | ||
| 71 | Tuvalu | 35.1 | 2009 | ||
| 72 | Azerbaijan | 33.5 | 2009 | ||
| 73 | Philippines | 33.1 | 2009 | ||
| 74 | Algeria | 32.3 | 2009 | ||
| 75 | Dominican Republic | 31.9 | 2009 | ||
| 76 | Jamaica | 30.9 | 2009 | ||
| East Asia and Pacific average (profile) | 29.8 | 2009 | |||
| 77 | Honduras | 29.7 | 2009 | ||
| 78 | Georgia | 29.1 | 2009 | ||
| 79 | Mongolia | 28.8 | 2009 | ||
| 80 | Kazakhstan | 28.7 | 2009 | ||
| Former Spanish colonies average (profile) | 28.48 | 2009 | |||
| Catholic countries average (profile) | 27.69 | 2009 | |||
| 81 | Cape Verde | 27.5 | 2009 | ||
| 82 | Suriname | 26.3 | 2009 | ||
| 83 | Nicaragua | 25.6 | 2009 | ||
| =84 | Samoa | 25.3 | 2009 | ||
| =84 | Jordan | 25.3 | 2009 | ||
| Former Soviet republics average (profile) | 24.54 | 2009 | |||
| 86 | Ecuador | 24.2 | 2009 | ||
| 87 | Vietnam | 23.6 | 2009 | ||
| 88 | Panama | 22.9 | 2009 | ||
| Latin America and Caribbean average (profile) | 22.76 | 2009 | |||
| 89 | Paraguay | 22.6 | 2009 | ||
| Emerging markets average (profile) | 21.81 | 2009 | |||
| 90 | Armenia | 21.6 | 2009 | ||
| 91 | Peru | 21.3 | 2009 | ||
| 92 | Saudi Arabia | 21 | 2009 | ||
| 93 | Tunisia | 20.7 | 2009 | ||
| 94 | Brazil | 20.6 | 2009 | ||
| 95 | Turkey | 20.3 | 2009 | ||
| Heavily indebted countries average (profile) | 20.09 | 2009 | |||
| 96 | Saint Lucia | 19.8 | 2009 | ||
| =97 | Tonga | 19.1 | 2009 | ||
| =97 | China | 19.1 | 2009 | ||
| Middle Eastern and North Africa average (profile) | 18.93 | 2009 | |||
| 99 | Colombia | 18.9 | 2009 | ||
| 100 | Libya | 18.5 | 2009 | ||
| 101 | Belize | 18 | 2009 | ||
| 102 | Fiji | 17.6 | 2009 | ||
| 103 | Venezuela | 17.5 | 2009 | ||
| 104 | Mauritius | 17 | 2009 | ||
| 105 | Mexico | 16.8 | 2009 | ||
| 106 | Moldova | 16.7 | 2009 | ||
| 107 | El Salvador | 16.6 | 2009 | ||
| 108 | Vanuatu | 16.3 | 2009 | ||
| 109 | Syria | 16.2 | 2009 | ||
| 110 | Albania | 15.3 | 2009 | ||
| 111 | Ukraine | 15.1 | 2009 | ||
| =112 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 14.9 | 2009 | ||
| =112 | Palau | 14.9 | 2009 | ||
| 114 | Sri Lanka | 14.7 | 2009 | ||
| 115 | Grenada | 14.5 | 2009 | ||
| 116 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14.4 | 2009 | ||
| 117 | Argentina | 14.1 | 2009 | ||
| Cold countries average (profile) | 13.79 | 2009 | |||
| 118 | Thailand | 13.5 | 2009 | ||
| 119 | Uruguay | 13.4 | 2009 | ||
| Eastern Europe average (profile) | 13.17 | 2009 | |||
| 120 | Maldives | 12.7 | 2009 | ||
| =121 | Seychelles | 12.4 | 2009 | ||
| =121 | Russia | 12.4 | 2009 | ||
| =121 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12.4 | 2009 | ||
| =121 | The Bahamas | 12.4 | 2009 | ||
| =121 | Lebanon | 12.4 | 2009 | ||
| =126 | Belarus | 12.1 | 2009 | ||
| =126 | Bahrain | 12.1 | 2009 | ||
| 128 | Oman | 12 | 2009 | ||
| 129 | Romania | 11.9 | 2009 | ||
| 130 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11.7 | 2009 | ||
| 131 | Barbados | 11 | 2009 | ||
| Non-religious countries average (profile) | 10.81 | 2009 | |||
| 132 | Qatar | 10.8 | 2009 | ||
| 133 | Costa Rica | 10.6 | 2009 | ||
| 134 | Bulgaria | 10 | 2009 | ||
| 135 | Kuwait | 9.9 | 2009 | ||
| 136 | Dominica | 9.8 | 2009 | ||
| 137 | Chile | 8.5 | 2009 | ||
| 138 | Latvia | 8 | 2009 | ||
| Europe average (profile) | 7.88 | 2009 | |||
| 139 | United States | 7.8 | 2009 | ||
| 140 | United Arab Emirates | 7.4 | 2009 | ||
| 141 | Serbia and Montenegro | 7.1 | 2009 | ||
| 142 | Slovakia | 6.9 | 2009 | ||
| =143 | Poland | 6.7 | 2009 | ||
| =143 | Malta | 6.7 | 2009 | ||
| =143 | Brunei | 6.7 | 2009 | ||
| 146 | Hungary | 6.3 | 2009 | ||
| =147 | New Zealand | 6.2 | 2009 | ||
| =147 | Lithuania | 6.2 | 2009 | ||
| NATO countries average (profile) | 6.14 | 2009 | |||
| =149 | Malaysia | 6.1 | 2009 | ||
| =149 | Canada | 6.1 | 2009 | ||
| 151 | Cuba | 5.8 | 2009 | ||
| =152 | United Kingdom | 5.5 | 2009 | ||
| =152 | Estonia | 5.5 | 2009 | ||
| 154 | Croatia | 5.4 | 2009 | ||
| 155 | Australia | 5.1 | 2009 | ||
| European Union average (profile) | 5.08 | 2009 | |||
| Group of 7 countries (G7) average (profile) | 4.97 | 2009 | |||
| 156 | European Union | 4.93 | 2009 | ||
| 157 | Belgium | 4.6 | 2009 | ||
| High income OECD countries average (profile) | 4.55 | 2009 | |||
| Eurozone average (profile) | 4.44 | 2009 | |||
| =158 | Switzerland | 4.4 | 2009 | ||
| =158 | Israel | 4.4 | 2009 | ||
| =158 | Netherlands | 4.4 | 2009 | ||
| =161 | Germany | 4.2 | 2009 | ||
| =161 | Ireland | 4.2 | 2009 | ||
| =163 | Austria | 4.1 | 2009 | ||
| =163 | Spain | 4.1 | 2009 | ||
| =165 | Italy | 4 | 2009 | ||
| =165 | Denmark | 4 | 2009 | ||
| =165 | Monaco | 4 | 2009 | ||
| 168 | France | 3.9 | 2009 | ||
| 169 | Portugal | 3.7 | 2009 | ||
| =170 | Cyprus | 3.5 | 2009 | ||
| =170 | Czech Republic | 3.5 | 2009 | ||
| =170 | Andorra | 3.5 | 2009 | ||
| 173 | Greece | 3.4 | 2009 | ||
| =174 | Japan | 3.3 | 2009 | ||
| =174 | Norway | 3.3 | 2009 | ||
| 176 | Finland | 3.2 | 2009 | ||
| =177 | Iceland | 3 | 2009 | ||
| =177 | Slovenia | 3 | 2009 | ||
| =179 | Singapore | 2.8 | 2009 | ||
| =179 | Sweden | 2.8 | 2009 | ||
| 181 | Luxembourg | 2.6 | 2009 | ||
| 182 | Liechtenstein | 2.1 | 2009 | ||
| 183 | San Marino | 1.7 | 2009 |
Citation
6
The under-five mortality rate is the risk of a child dying before reaching five years of age. It is calculated as the number of children below five years in a given calendar year divided by the number of live births in the same year which is then multiplied by 1,000. It is the most important indicator of child health in a country.
Description:
In developed countries, the under-five mortality is at 7 per 1000 while in the least developed countries, it is as high as 63 per 1000. The mortality rate of children below five is increased in children who are poor, those who live in rural areas, and those whose mothers have not received basic education.
The risk of dying is highest during the neonatal period or the first month of life. Neonatal deaths account for about 40% of under-five deaths. These are caused by preterm birth, complications during birth such as asphyxia, and severe infection.
After the neonatal period, the top causes of under-five deaths are pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. Five million children under five years of age die annually of pneumonia. Diarrhea causes 17% of under five deaths. Measles, malaria and AIDS account for 15%. Malnutrition makes children susceptible to severe disease and is an underlying factor in 45% of under-five deaths.
Children in the African region have the highest under-five death rates worldwide. These children are 16 times more likely to die compared to children in developed nations. The high under-five mortality rate in poorer nations is due to lack of access to basic health care and poor or delayed care-seeking. Poor nutrition and sanitation are also major underlying factors. It is estimated that improvement of health services can prevent up to 60% of under-five deaths.
Citations:
1) WHO: Under five mortality. http://www.who.int/gho/childhealth/mortality/mortalityunderfivetext/en/
2) WHO: Children: reducing mortality. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/
3) Under five mortality rate. http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mi/wiki/4-1-Under-five-mortality-rate.ashx
4) The under five mortality rate. http://www.unicef.org/sowc08/docs/sowc08_panels.pdf
Posted on 09 Apr 2014
chris.lockyer781
396 Stat enthusiast
