Infant Mortality Rate: France

Analysis# France Infant Mortality Rate France's infant mortality rate stands at 3.4 per 1,000 births in 2024, reflecting one of Europe's lowest levels. The country has achieved a dramatic 85.7% reduction since 1960, when the rate peaked at 23.7 per 1,000 births. France reached its historical low of 3.1 per 1,000 births in 2009, demonstrating sustained progress in maternal and child health over six decades. The rate has stabilized near its minimum since the early 2010s. After declining from 3.2 in 2015 to 3.1 in 2009, the metric has hovered between 3.3 and 3.4 for the past nine years, suggesting France has approached a plateau at near-optimal levels. This stability indicates that further reductions face diminishing returns, with remaining improvements likely driven by advances in neonatal care rather than broad public health gains.