Countries With the Fastest Decline in Under-5 mortality rate (5-Year Change)

Name: Countries With the Fastest Decline in Under-5 mortality rate (5-Year Change)
Creator: The World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Change in Under-5 mortality rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Central African Republic fell the most: by 165, from 254.7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 89.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in the five years to 2024. Mali is second (−18.9), followed by Sierra Leone (−17.8). 165 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −2.4.

#1: Central African Republic · −165
Median: −2.4
Coverage: 165 countries
Data year: 2024
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: 5-year change (deaths per 1,000 live births). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Central African Republic -165; 2. Mali -18.9; 3. Sierra Leone -17.8; 4. Somalia, Fed. Rep. -17.3; 5. Chad -16.7; 6. Guinea -13.3; 7. Burkina Faso -13.2; 8. Congo, Rep. -13.1; 9. Equatorial Guinea -12.7; 10. Benin -12.3.

Full ranking

Countries With the Fastest Decline in Under-5 mortality rate (5-Year Change), 2024
Rank	Country	From	To	5-year change (deaths per 1,000 live births)
1	Central African Republic	254.7	89.7	−165
2	Mali	91.9	73	−18.9
3	Sierra Leone	108.3	90.5	−17.8
4	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	118.4	101.1	−17.3
5	Chad	114	97.3	−16.7
6	Guinea	105.4	92.1	−13.3
7	Burkina Faso	88.1	74.9	−13.2
8	Congo, Rep.	52.2	39.1	−13.1
9	Equatorial Guinea	80.7	68	−12.7
10	Benin	87	74.7	−12.3
11	Guinea-Bissau	79.5	67.3	−12.2
12	Bahamas, The	24.3	12.4	−11.9
13	Cameroon	76.6	64.8	−11.8
14	Côte d'Ivoire	75.3	64.5	−10.8
15	Niger	120.8	110.7	−10.1
16	Togo	66	56.1	−9.9
17	Pakistan	65.8	56	−9.8
18	Afghanistan	62.7	53	−9.7
19	Senegal	46.2	36.5	−9.7
20	Mozambique	68.6	59.4	−9.2
21	Burundi	56.2	47.1	−9.1
22	Ethiopia	53.6	44.5	−9.1
23	Haiti	61.5	52.8	−8.7
24	Djibouti	57.5	48.9	−8.6
25	Tanzania	45.6	37	−8.6
26	India	34.9	26.6	−8.3
27	Ghana	44.1	35.9	−8.2
28	Lesotho	68.1	60	−8.1
29	Gambia, The	50.4	42.4	−8
30	Yemen, Rep.	46.1	38.1	−8
31	Timor-Leste	54.8	47.6	−7.2
32	Lao PDR	36.5	29.4	−7.1
33	Namibia	46.6	39.5	−7.1
34	Botswana	40	33.3	−6.7
35	Myanmar	43.6	36.9	−6.7
36	Papua New Guinea	46.1	39.4	−6.7
37	Mauritania	43.4	36.9	−6.5
38	Eswatini	51.5	45.1	−6.4
39	Angola	55.3	49	−6.3
40	Eritrea	40.5	34.3	−6.2
41	Syrian Arab Republic	24.6	18.4	−6.2
42	Kiribati	59.1	53.1	−6
43	Gabon	38.5	32.6	−5.9
44	Nepal	31	25.1	−5.9
45	Comoros	44.8	39	−5.8
46	Bhutan	22.7	17.2	−5.5
47	Zambia	53.5	48.4	−5.1
48	Samoa	20	14.9	−5.1
49	Rwanda	42.7	37.7	−5
50	Bolivia	20.6	15.7	−4.9
51	Azerbaijan	22.7	17.9	−4.8
52	Tunisia	16.9	12.1	−4.8
53	Marshall Islands	31.2	26.7	−4.5
54	Turkmenistan	43.5	39	−4.5
55	Guyana	29.6	25.2	−4.4
56	Cambodia	22.8	18.4	−4.4
57	North Macedonia	7.1	2.8	−4.3
58	Indonesia	21.8	17.7	−4.1
59	Micronesia, Fed. Sts.	26.4	22.4	−4
60	Kenya	42.7	38.8	−3.9
61	Iraq	25.7	21.8	−3.9
62	Guatemala	24.3	20.5	−3.8
63	Dominican Republic	34.4	30.6	−3.8
64	Naoero	12	8.3	−3.7
65	São Tomé and Principe	17.1	13.6	−3.5
66	Tuvalu	22.7	19.2	−3.5
67	Morocco	19.1	15.7	−3.4
68	Nicaragua	14.3	11.2	−3.1
69	Solomon Islands	23.1	20	−3.1
70	Cabo Verde	14.1	11.1	−3
71	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	14.3	11.3	−3
72	Paraguay	19.2	16.3	−2.9
73	Uganda	51.6	48.7	−2.9
74	Honduras	17.7	15	−2.7
75	Viet Nam	20	17.3	−2.7
76	Madagascar	65	62.4	−2.6
77	Suriname	18.4	15.8	−2.6
78	Armenia	12.1	9.6	−2.5
79	Congo, Dem. Rep.	92.2	89.7	−2.5
80	Malawi	51.3	48.8	−2.5
81	Kosovo	11.2	8.7	−2.5
82	Egypt, Arab Rep.	24.8	22.4	−2.4
83	Trinidad and Tobago	21.2	18.8	−2.4
84	China	8	5.7	−2.3
85	St. Kitts and Nevis	18.2	15.9	−2.3
86	Uzbekistan	15.7	13.4	−2.3
87	Liberia	88.7	86.4	−2.3
88	Tajikistan	30.4	28.1	−2.3
89	Mongolia	15.6	13.4	−2.2
90	El Salvador	12.2	10	−2.2
91	Iran, Islamic Rep.	13.4	11.3	−2.1
92	Colombia	13.5	11.5	−2
93	Jordan	14.9	12.9	−2
94	Maldives	7.4	5.4	−2
95	Peru	14.9	12.9	−2
96	Mexico	15	13.1	−1.9
97	Nigeria	117.4	115.6	−1.8
98	Libya	11.6	9.8	−1.8
99	British Virgin Islands	14.2	12.4	−1.8
100	Bangladesh	32.3	30.5	−1.8

Showing the top 100 of 165. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#1 Central African Republic

Central African Republic ranks #1 on this list with −165.

Capital: Bangui
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 5.51 million people (2025)
GDP: US$3.07 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$556.1 (2025)
Life expectancy: 57.7 years (2024)
Urban population: 44.6% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).

Full country profile

#2 Mali

Mali ranks #2 on this list with −18.9.

Capital: Bamako
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 25.2 million people (2025)
GDP: US$30.07 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,193 (2025)
Life expectancy: 60.7 years (2024)
Urban population: 32.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Bamako.

Also ranks #6 in population ages 0-14 share · #6 in age dependency ratio · #6 in age dependency ratio (young).

Full country profile

#3 Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone ranks #3 on this list with −17.8.

Capital: Freetown
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 8.82 million people (2025)
GDP: US$7.46 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$846.3 (2025)
Life expectancy: 62 years (2024)
Urban population: 45.9% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in school enrolment (primary) · #7 in under-5 mortality rate · #8 in forest rents share of gdp.

Full country profile

#4 Somalia, Fed. Rep.

Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #4 on this list with −17.3.

Capital: Mogadishu
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 19.66 million people (2025)
GDP: US$13 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$661.2 (2025)
Life expectancy: 59 years (2024)
Urban population: 55.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.

Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).

Full country profile

#5 Chad

Chad ranks #5 on this list with −16.7.

Capital: N'Djamena
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 21 million people (2025)
GDP: US$21.47 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,022 (2025)
Life expectancy: 55.2 years (2024)
Urban population: 27.6% of population (2025)

Largest cities: N'Djamena.

Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #2 in maternal mortality ratio.

Full country profile

#6 Guinea

Guinea ranks #6 on this list with −13.3.

Capital: Conakry
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 15.1 million people (2025)
GDP: US$28.35 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,877 (2025)
Life expectancy: 60.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 38.5% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Conakry.

Also ranks #6 in under-5 mortality rate · #7 in infant mortality rate · #7 in official exchange rate.

Full country profile

#7 Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso ranks #7 on this list with −13.2.

Capital: Ouagadougou
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 24.08 million people (2025)
GDP: US$27.63 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,148 (2025)
Life expectancy: 61.3 years (2024)
Urban population: 28.9% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Ouagadougou.

Also ranks #7 in mineral rents share of gdp · #9 in children out of school (primary) · #11 in under-5 mortality rate.

Full country profile

#8 Congo, Rep.

Congo, Rep. ranks #8 on this list with −13.1.

Capital: Brazzaville
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 6.48 million people (2025)
GDP: US$16.31 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$2,515 (2025)
Life expectancy: 66 years (2024)
Urban population: 64.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire.

Also ranks #3 in oil rents share of gdp · #4 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #7 in unemployment rate.

Full country profile

#9 Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea ranks #9 on this list with −12.7.

Capital: Ciudad de la Paz
Continent: Africa
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 1.94 million people (2025)
GDP: US$12.82 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$6,615 (2025)
Life expectancy: 63.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 71.6% of population (2025)

Also ranks #7 in forest area share · #13 in male population share · #13 in industry value added share of gdp.

Full country profile

#10 Benin

Benin ranks #10 on this list with −12.3.

Capital: Porto-Novo
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 14.81 million people (2025)
GDP: US$24.57 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,658 (2025)
Life expectancy: 61 years (2024)
Urban population: 53.4% of population (2025)

Also ranks #8 in maternal mortality ratio · #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Source and method

Change in Under-5 mortality rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.DYN.MORT. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births): UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF); World Health Organization (WHO); World Bank (WB).

Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.

Summary

Full ranking

About the top 10

#1 Central African Republic

#2 Mali

#3 Sierra Leone

#4 Somalia, Fed. Rep.

#5 Chad

#6 Guinea

#7 Burkina Faso

#8 Congo, Rep.

#9 Equatorial Guinea

#10 Benin

Related rankings

Source and method