By Pallavi Rao
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.
Ranked: Countries With the Highest Infant Mortality Rates
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.
| 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 |
Meanwhile, the other 14 countries on this list are all from Sub-Saharan Africa. Some of them are also experiencing civil unrest, a breakdown of state machinery, and high undernourishment rates.
While this is concerning, Africa’s infant mortality rate as a whole has improved tremendously in the last seven decades. Between 1950–2024, the continent’s average fell 73% to 41 deaths per 1,000 births.
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.
Source: Visual Capitalist
