North Korea vs South Korea

North Korea vs South Korea: Child mortality

Child mortality in 2024: 1.7 per 100 live births in North Korea and 0.3 per 100 live births in South Korea, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in North Korea, by 1.4 per 100 live births, or 5.96 times that in South Korea.

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deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

North Korea vs South Korea: Child mortalityChild mortality in 2024: 1.7 per 100 live births in North Korea and 0.3 per 100 live births in South Korea, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in North Korea, by 1.4 per 100 live births, or 5.96 times that in South Korea.
North KoreaSouth KoreaWorld

What the numbers say

  • North Korea has been higher since 1959, when it overtook South Korea.
  • The world as a whole: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024.

Every year

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

YearNorth KoreaSouth KoreaWorld
20241.70.33.7
20231.80.33.8
20221.80.34
20211.70.34
20201.70.33.9
20191.80.34
20181.80.34
20171.90.34.1
20162.10.34.2
20152.10.44.3
20142.30.44.4
20132.40.44.5
20122.60.44.7
20112.70.45
20102.90.45.1
200930.45.3
20083.10.55.5
20073.20.55.7
20063.30.56
20053.30.66.2
20043.40.66.6
20033.50.66.8
20029.80.77.1
20019.90.77.4
2000100.87.7
199910.20.87.9
199810.30.98.3
199710.50.98.4
199610.618.6
199510.81.18.8
19944.31.18.9
19934.31.29.1
19924.31.39.2
19914.21.59.3
19904.11.69.4
198941.79.5
19883.81.910
19873.82.19.9
19863.72.210.3
19853.72.510.6
19843.72.710.9
19833.82.911.1
19823.93.211.2
19814.13.411.6
19804.23.611.9
19794.43.911.9
19784.6412.3
19774.84.212.6
197654.412.8
19755.34.613.1
19745.64.813.3
19735.95.113.5
19726.25.413.7
19716.65.713.9
197076.114.2
19697.56.614.6
19687.97.115
19678.57.715.3
196698.215.1
19659.58.715.1
19649.99.215.7
196310.49.716.2
196210.810.217
196111.210.718.8
196011.611.320.2
195912.11219.9
195812.712.819.7
195713.413.920.5
195614.415.421.3
195515.517.222.3
195416.919.722.8
195321.822.823.3
195226.526.623.9
195140.531.324.3
195046.336.924.7
1949––24.9
1948––24.9
1947––25.5
1946––25.8
1945––26.7
1944––27.4
1943––27.7
1942––27.9
1941––27.8
1940––27.9
1939––28
1938––28.7
1937––28.8
1936––29.1
1935––29.5
1934––30.7
1933––30.5
1932––30.7
1931––31.4
1930––31.6
1929––32
1928––31.9
1927––31.9
1926––32.7
1925––32.4
1924––33.1
1923––33.1
1922––33.2
1921––34.2
1920––34.4
1919––35.7
1918––37.6
1917––35.3
1916––35.1
1915––35.3
1914––35.4
1913––35.1
1912––35.5
1911––36
1910––36.4
1909––36.6
1908––37.2
1907––37.4
1906––38.1
1905––38.8
1904––38.9
1903––39.5
1902––40.1
1901––40.8
1900––40.9
1899––40.8
1898––41.2
1897––41
1896––41.1
1895––41.3
1894––41.2
1893––41.2
1892––41.7
1891––41.3
1890––41.5
1889––41.2
1888––41
1887––41.1
1886––41.1
1885––41.2
1884––41.1
1883––41.4
1882––41.5
1881––41.1
1880––41.6
1879––41.1
1878––41.6
1877––41.2
1876––41.4
1875––41.5
1874––41.7
1873––41.8
1872––42.1
1871––42.2
1870––41.9
1869––42.1
1868––42.4
1867––42
1866––42.1
1865––42.3
1864––42.2
1863––42.5
1862––42.6
1861––42.9
1860––42.9
1859––43.7
1858––43.8
1857––44.2
1856––44.2
1855––44
1854––43.7
1853––43.2
1852––42.9
1851––42.4
1850––42
1849––42.3
1848––42.3
1847––42.2
1846––42.4
1845––42
1844––42.1
1843––42.1
1842––42.2
1841––42.1
1840––42.1
1839––42.1
1838––42.2
1837––42.2
1836––42.2
1835––42.2
1834––42.3
1833––42.2
1832––42.2
1831––42.2
1830––42.2
1829––42.1
1828––42.1
1827––42.1
1826––42.1
1825––42.1
1824––42.1
1823––42.1
1822––42.1
1821––42.1
1820––42.1
1819––42.2
1818––42.2
1817––42.2
1816––42.2
1815––42.2
1814––42.3
1813––42.3
1812––42.4
1811––42.4
1810––42.5
1809––42.5
1808––42.5
1807––42.5
1806––42.6
1805––42.6
1804––42.6
1803––42.6
1802––42.7
1801––42.7
1800––42.8

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • The share of children who die before their fifth birthday.
  • Source: Gapminder (2015) and UN IGME (2025), via Our World in Data.
  • Ranks count the 200 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

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