Mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi
Malawi: Mortality rate, under-5 was 48.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 48.8 per 1,000 live births for mortality rate, under-5 in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi peaked at 358.5 per 1,000 live births in 1961 and was at its lowest, 48.8 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Malawi 30th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 352.03 per 1,000 live births | 345.1 per 1,000 live births | 358.5 per 1,000 live births | 9 |
| 1970s | 307 per 1,000 live births | 265.4 per 1,000 live births | 341.7 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 250.89 per 1,000 live births | 245.5 per 1,000 live births | 256.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 212.63 per 1,000 live births | 182.3 per 1,000 live births | 243.5 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 128.75 per 1,000 live births | 85.3 per 1,000 live births | 239 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.52 per 1,000 live births | 51.3 per 1,000 live births | 80.1 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.78 per 1,000 live births | 48.8 per 1,000 live births | 50.4 per 1,000 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Age population, age 13, female, interpolated 281,167 (2025)
- Age population, age 15, female, interpolated 276,241 (2025)
- Age population, age 14, male, interpolated 276,497 (2025)
- Age population, age 14, female, interpolated 278,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 13, male, interpolated 279,081 (2025)
- Age population, age 12, female, interpolated 283,499 (2025)
- Age population, age 11, female, interpolated 284,911 (2025)
- Age population, age 11, male, interpolated 283,873 (2025)
- Age population, age 15, male, interpolated 273,176 (2025)
- Age population, age 12, male, interpolated 281,852 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in Malawi was 48.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 358.5 per 1,000 live births in 1961.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- Malawi ranks 30th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.