Infant Mortality Rate history (1950-2010)

Infant mortality occurs when a child dies before their first birthday.

Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths of children less than one year of age per 1000 live births.

Interesting facts:

  1. Social class is a major factor in infant mortality, both historically and today. They discovered that lower incomes tend to correlate with higher infant mortality. If the father had no income, the rate of infant mortality was 357% more than that for the highest income earners ($1,250+).
  2. In most cases, war-affected areas will experience a significant increase in infant mortality rates.
  3. Developing countries suffer from a lack of access to affordable and professional health care resources, and skilled personnel during deliveries.Countries with histories of extreme poverty also has a pattern of epidemics, endemic infectious diseases, low levels of access to maternal and child healthcare.
Population growth Summary

  • Infant mortality rate by major area, region and country, 1950-2100 (infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
  • Data source: United Nations, Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Updated: April 2011