Infant Mortality Rate: Iran

Analysis# Iran Infant Mortality Rate Iran's infant mortality rate reached 10.3 per 1,000 births in 2024, marking a historic low and representing a dramatic 92.9% decline from its 1971 peak of 144.4. Over five decades, Iran transformed one of the world's highest infant mortality rates into a figure comparable to upper-middle-income country standards. The progression from 1971 to 2024 reflects sustained improvements in healthcare infrastructure, maternal care, and public health interventions across the nation. The most significant acceleration occurred after 2015, when the rate stood at 14 per 1,000 births. Annual improvements averaged 0.37 deaths per 1,000 births from 2015 through 2024, demonstrating consistent downward momentum. The uninterrupted decline across this nine-year period indicates that progress has become embedded in Iran's health systems rather than episodic, suggesting the trajectory will likely continue its steady descent in coming years.