We visualized the top 15 countries with the highest infant mortality rates, according to 2023 estimates from the CIA World Factbook. It is measured as the number of infant deaths under the age of one, per 1,000 live births in a given year…
Infant mortality rates are generally regarded as the barometer of an overall population’s health. A higher rate indicates unmet needs of a population, especially with regards to food availability and sanitation. The current infant mortality rate for Africa in 2023 is 41.586 deaths per 1000 live births, a 2.75% decline from 2022.
Afghanistan currently has the highest infant mortality rate in the world at 103 deaths per 1,000 babies born. Decades of conflict have pushed the country to the brink and a prolonged drought since 2021 has made food more scarce.
Expansion of healthcare, improving nutrition, access to clean drinking water, and mass immunization programs are some of the reasons behind this massive decline, Estimates assume Africa’s infant mortality rate will improve further to 25 per 1,000 live births by 2050—which is roughly the same as Asia today.
| Rank | Country | Region | Infant Mortality Rate (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | Asia | 103.1 |
| 2 | 🇸🇴 Somalia | Africa | 85.1 |
| 3 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Africa | 81.7 |
| 4 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 77.9 |
| 5 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | Africa | 72.3 |
| 6 | 🇳🇪 Niger | Africa | 65.5 |
| 7 | 🇹🇩 Chad | Africa | 64.0 |
| 8 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | Africa | 61.6 |
| 9 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Africa | 59.8 |
| 10 | 🇨🇩 DRC | Africa | 59.1 |
| 11 | 🇲🇱 Mali | Africa | 59.0 |
| 12 | 🇦🇴 Angola | Africa | 57.2 |
| 13 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | Africa | 56.1 |
| 14 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | Africa | 56.0 |
| 15 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | 55.2 |
| N/A | 🌐 World | World | 28.0 |
