Global Child Mortality 2024: 4.9 Million Under-Five Deaths

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to data released on March 18, 2026. The findings, detailed in the Levels &amp. Trends in Child Mortality report, indicate that while global under-five deaths have fallen by more than half since 2000, the progress has stalled significantly, with the pace of reduction slowing by more than 60 per cent since 2015.

The report, produced by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), emphasizes that most of these deaths are preventable through access to quality health care and proven, low-cost interventions. For the first time, the analysis fully integrates estimates on the causes of death to provide a more detailed picture of why and where children, adolescents, and youth are dying.

The Impact of Severe Acute Malnutrition

In a first-time global estimate, the report identifies deaths directly caused by severe acute malnutrition (SAM). More than 100,000 children aged 1 to 59 months—representing 5 per cent of deaths in that age group—died directly from SAM in 2024. Some of the highest numbers of direct deaths were recorded in Sudan, Somalia, and Pakistan.

Experts noted that the actual burden of SAM is likely substantially underestimated because mortality data frequently fail to capture it as an underlying cause of death. The total toll is higher when indirect effects are considered, as malnutrition weakens a child’s immunity and increases their vulnerability to common childhood diseases.

Newborn and Early Childhood Mortality

Newborn deaths accounted for nearly half of all under-five deaths in 2024, signaling a slower rate of progress in preventing deaths around the time of birth. The leading causes of death for newborns were complications from preterm birth, which accounted for 36 per cent, and complications during labour and delivery, which accounted for 21 per cent. Other significant causes included congenital anomalies and infections such as neonatal sepsis.

For children who survive the first month of life, infectious diseases remain the primary threat. Malaria was the single largest killer in this age group, responsible for 17 per cent of deaths, with the majority occurring in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Other major killers included pneumonia and diarrhoea.

While malaria mortality saw steep declines between 2000 and 2015, progress has slowed in recent years. Deaths remain concentrated in countries such as Nigeria, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad, where drug resistance, invasive mosquitos, climate shocks, and conflict hinder access to treatment and prevention.

Regional Disparities and Conflict Zones

Child mortality remains heavily concentrated in specific regions. In 2024, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58 per cent of all global under-five deaths, with infectious diseases responsible for 54 per cent of those deaths. In contrast, the proportion of under-five deaths caused by infectious diseases in Europe and Northern America was 9 per cent, and 6 per cent in Australia and New Zealand.

Southern Asia accounted for 25 per cent of all under-five deaths. In this region, mortality was largely driven by first-month complications, including neonatal infections, congenital anomalies, birth asphyxia or trauma, and preterm delivery.

The report highlights a severe disparity for children born in fragile and conflict-affected countries, who are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than children born in other settings.

No child should die from diseases that we know how to prevent. But we see worrying signs that progress in child survival is slowing – and at a time where we’re seeing further global budget cuts.

Catherine Russell, Executive Director for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Mortality in Adolescents and Youth

Beyond early childhood, an estimated 2.1 million children, adolescents, and youth aged 5 to 24 died in 2024. While injuries and infectious diseases are the leading causes of death for younger children in this bracket, the risks shift during adolescence. For boys, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death, while self-harm is the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19.

Economic Benefits and Policy Recommendations

The report argues that investments in child health are among the most cost-effective development measures available. Evidence shows that every dollar invested in child survival can generate up to twenty dollars in social and economic benefits by strengthening economies, improving productivity, and reducing future public spending.

To accelerate progress, the UN IGME recommends that governments and partners take the following actions:

• Prioritize child survival in political and financing agendas, with high-burden countries mobilizing domestic resources to ensure affordable, quality services.
• Focus interventions on those at the highest risk, specifically in Southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and fragile or conflict-affected settings.
• Strengthen accountability through transparent reporting, tracking, and data collection regarding existing commitments to reduce newborn and child deaths.
• Invest in primary health care systems, including the use of skilled care at birth and community health workers to treat and prevent leading causes of death.

The world has made remarkable progress in saving children’s lives, but many still die from preventable causes. Children living amid conflict and crisis are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. We must protect essential health and nutrition services and reach the most vulnerable families so every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General