🧒 Global child mortality has decreased by 60 percent since 1990

• Mortality among children under five has fallen by approximately 60 percent since 1990, thanks to investments in vaccinations, newborn care and nutrition.
• Mortality among newborns has decreased by 45 percent during the same period.
• The UN has for the first time produced synchronized cause-of-death data for children of all ages, providing the most comprehensive foundation to date for targeted interventions.

Millions of lives saved

Since 1990, mortality among children under five has decreased by approximately 60 percent. Neonatal mortality, meaning deaths during the first 28 days of life, has decreased by 45 percent during the same period. This has saved millions of young lives. The progress is the result of decades of investment in immunization programs, basic healthcare, newborn care, nutritional support and integrated management of childhood illnesses.

The figures come from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN IGME, which this year for the first time published fully synchronized cause-of-death estimates. This means researchers can now see what children of different ages are dying from with greater precision than before.

Detailed causes of death mapped

Cause-of-death patterns vary sharply depending on age. Among newborns, deaths are primarily caused by premature birth, complications during delivery and neonatal infections. These are conditions that can be significantly reduced through quality maternal care, skilled birth attendants and targeted care for small and sick newborns.

Among children aged 1 to 59 months, pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria are the leading causes of death. Malnutrition often exacerbates these diseases. The report estimates for the first time deaths directly caused by severe acute malnutrition. The result shows that more than 100,000 children in that age group died from it in 2024.

In countries where survival among young children has improved, congenital anomalies make up a growing share of deaths among children under five.

Different risks at different ages

Children over five, adolescents and young adults face a different set of risks. These involve a mix of infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases, injuries and causes linked to mental health. This underscores the need for a life-course approach that protects health throughout childhood, adolescence and into young adulthood.

Geography still determines outcomes

Where a child grows up still affects their chances of survival. Differences based on geography, income, maternal education level and access to clean water and sanitation all play a role. In conflict-affected and fragile settings, the challenges are greatest, with limited access to basic healthcare.

At the same time, global evidence shows that child mortality has fallen sharply in countries where targeted investments have been made. The tools to prevent these deaths already exist. It is a matter of scaling them up sufficiently.

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