Global Child Deaths Fall to a Record Low of 4.8 Million

One of the great public-health stories of our era reached a new milestone this year. According to a report released on 25 March 2025 by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), the number of children who died before their fifth birthday fell to 4.8 million in 2023. That is less than half the toll recorded in 2000 — and follows the historic moment in 2022 when annual child deaths dropped below five million for the first time.

The gains come from a steady accumulation of proven, often inexpensive interventions: routine childhood vaccines, oral rehydration for diarrhea, better newborn care, improved nutrition, insecticide-treated bednets and expanded access to safe water and basic sanitation. "Millions of children are alive today because of the global commitment to proven interventions, such as vaccines, nutrition, and access to safe water and basic sanitation," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Stillbirths have also declined by more than a third since 2000.

“According to a report released on 25 March 2025 by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), the number of children who died before their fifth birthday fell to 4.”

These are not abstract numbers. Halving child mortality in a generation means tens of millions of families spared the loss of a child, and it stands as one of humanity's clearest demonstrations that coordinated effort can change lives at a planetary scale.

But the UN was careful to frame the news with a warning. Since 2015, the annual rate of reduction in under-five mortality has slowed by 42 percent compared with 2000-2015, and deep inequalities persist: a child born in sub-Saharan Africa remains far more likely to die before age five than one born in a wealthy country. Nearly half of under-five deaths still occur in the first month of life. UN agencies cautioned that funding cuts could stall or even reverse the progress. The achievement is genuine and worth celebrating — but sustaining it will require continued investment in the basic tools that made it possible.