Infant Mortality Rate: Ethiopia

Analysis# Ethiopia Infant Mortality Rate Ethiopia's infant mortality rate stands at 34.5 per 1,000 births in 2024, marking a historic low and representing a dramatic 75.9% decline since 1966. The country peaked at 195.6 deaths per 1,000 births in 1983, when nearly one in five infants did not survive to age one. Four decades of sustained progress has transformed child survival outcomes, though the rate remains elevated compared to global benchmarks. The 2021 spike to 49.9 per 1,000 births interrupts an otherwise consistent downward trajectory, likely reflecting pandemic-related disruptions to healthcare access. Recovery accelerated in subsequent years, with the rate falling from 48.3 in 2022 to 34.5 by 2024. This sharp rebound suggests strengthened health infrastructure and maternal care services, positioning Ethiopia on a path toward further improvements in infant survival.