Based on the 2023 estimates from the World Factbook, a list of countries with the highest infant mortality rates has been created, with Afghanistan and Somalia topping the list.

The widespread consensus is that infant mortality rates serve as a gauge of the general health of a population. A greater percentage denotes unfulfilled demands of the populace, particularly concerning access to food and hygiene.

Pallavi Rao of Visual Capitalist illustrated the top 15 nations with the greatest infant death rates in 2023 based on CIA World Factbook forecasts. The number of infant deaths under one-year-old per 1,000 live births in a particular year is used to measure it.

“However, with improvements in average childhood mortality rates and longer life expectancy, we are witnessing a different trend in global fertility rates, as reported by GreatGameIndia. According to the UN, it is expected to begin declining in all countries toward the end of the century.

Ranked: Countries With the Highest Infant Mortality Rates

With 103 deaths per 1,000 live births, Afghanistan now has the highest infant mortality rate in the world. The nation has been on the verge of collapse due to decades of conflict, and since 2021, a protracted drought has increased food shortages.

The remaining 14 nations on this list, however, are all located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Along with high rates of undernourishment, some of them are also dealing with civil upheaval and a breakdown in state machinery.

Although this is alarming, within the past 70 years, Africa’s infant mortality rate has significantly decreased overall. The average for the continent dropped by 73% to 41 deaths per 1,000 births between 1950 and 2024.

This sharp drop can be attributed, in part, to widespread vaccination campaigns, availability of clean drinking water, improved diet, and healthcare expansion.

By 2050, estimates indicate that Africa’s infant mortality rate will have improved to 25 per 1,000 live births, or about the same as that of Asia currently.