Chile has the lowest child mortality in Latin America: 6.8 deaths of children under 5 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to the estimates of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) published by the World Bank. Uruguay (7.4) and Cuba (8.6) follow. At the other end are the Dominican Republic (30.6), Venezuela (24.2) and Guatemala (20.5). The Latin America and Caribbean average is 15.4 and the world average 37.4.
This ranking compares 19 Latin American countries using the same source and year. It is updated on this same page when the UN publishes a new round of estimates, usually once a year.
Child mortality in Latin America: 2026 ranking
| # | Country | Under 5 | Under 1 (infant) | Neonatal (first 28 days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chile | 6.8 | 5.8 | 4.7 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 7.4 | 6.2 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Cuba | 8.6 | 6.8 | 4.3 |
| 4 | Argentina | 9.5 | 8.0 | 5.1 |
| 5 | El Salvador | 10.0 | 8.8 | 4.3 |
| 6 | Costa Rica | 10.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Nicaragua | 11.2 | 9.4 | 5.3 |
| 8 | Colombia | 11.5 | 10.5 | 6.3 |
| 9 | Peru | 12.9 | 11.0 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Ecuador | 12.9 | 10.9 | 7.0 |
| 11 | Mexico | 13.1 | 12.1 | 8.2 |
| 12 | Brazil | 14.2 | 12.3 | 7.1 |
| 13 | Honduras | 15.0 | 12.8 | 8.4 |
| 14 | Panama | 15.3 | 12.0 | 5.3 |
| 15 | Bolivia | 15.7 | 14.2 | 7.3 |
| 16 | Paraguay | 16.3 | 14.5 | 8.6 |
| 17 | Guatemala | 20.5 | 17.2 | 9.5 |
| 18 | Venezuela | 24.2 | 21.2 | 15.0 |
| 19 | Dominican Republic | 30.6 | 27.7 | 21.2 |
| — | Latin America and the Caribbean | 15.4 | 13.3 | 8.3 |
| — | World | 37.4 | 27.7 | 17.2 |
Deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024. Source: UN IGME via the World Bank, indicators SH.DYN.MORT, SP.DYN.IMRT.IN and SH.DYN.NMRT, retrieved November 4, 2026 (database updated October 8, 2026). Peru and Ecuador tie at 12.9; they are ordered by an unpublished second decimal.
What child mortality measures
Three indicators are often confused. Under-5 mortality is the probability that a newborn dies before age five; it is the one the UN uses for Sustainable Development Goal 3.2. Infant mortality in the strict sense measures deaths before the first birthday, and neonatal mortality those in the first 28 days of life.
- Common source: the UN IGME, which brings together UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank and the UN Population Division, harmonizes civil registration, censuses and surveys so countries can be compared.
- May differ from national figures: health ministries publish their own rates based on administrative records, which sometimes do not match UN estimates.
- UN target: SDG 3.2 calls for reducing under-5 mortality to 25 per 1,000 or less and neonatal mortality to 12 per 1,000 or less by 2030.
Child mortality in Latin America has halved since 2000
Between 2000 and 2024 the region went from 32.7 to 15.4 deaths of children under 5 per 1,000 live births, a 53% drop. The biggest gains were made by countries that started from high levels.
| Country | 2000 | 2015 | 2024 | Change 2000-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivia | 70.7 | 26.7 | 15.7 | −78% |
| Nicaragua | 37.1 | 17.2 | 11.2 | −70% |
| El Salvador | 32.2 | 14.6 | 10.0 | −69% |
| Peru | 38.3 | 16.6 | 12.9 | −66% |
| Chile | 10.9 | 7.9 | 6.8 | −38% |
| Cuba | 8.6 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 0% |
| Venezuela | 21.5 | 19.1 | 24.2 | +13% |
Source: UN IGME via the World Bank; changes calculated by Vivarae News. Two countries go against the trend: Venezuela is the only one on the list with a higher rate than in 2000, and Cuba returned in 2024 to its 2000 level after falling to 6.1 in 2015.
Child mortality in Chile, Mexico, Argentina and Peru
Vivarae News' four editions show different paths. Chile was already low in 2000 and kept falling more slowly; Peru had one of the largest drops in the region; Mexico and Argentina cut their rates in half.
| Country | Under 5, 2000 | Under 5, 2024 | Neonatal, 2024 | Neonatal share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 10.9 | 6.8 | 4.7 | 69% |
| Argentina | 19.4 | 9.5 | 5.1 | 54% |
| Peru | 38.3 | 12.9 | 6.5 | 50% |
| Mexico | 27.4 | 13.1 | 8.2 | 63% |
Source: UN IGME via the World Bank. The neonatal share is the ratio of the neonatal rate to the under-5 rate, calculated by Vivarae News: it shows what portion of child deaths occurs in the first month. The lower the overall rate, the higher that share tends to be, because the remaining causes are prematurity and birth complications, which are harder to reduce than infections or malnutrition.
Where the biggest challenge lies: the first 28 days
Across almost the entire region, more than half of under-5 deaths occur in the first month of life. In Chile neonatal mortality is 4.7 out of 6.8; in the Dominican Republic, 21.2 out of 30.6. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela (15.0) are the two countries in the ranking above the UN neonatal target (12 per 1,000). For the under-5 rate, the Dominican Republic (30.6) is the only one above the threshold of 25.
Child mortality is linked to health spending, access to prenatal care and skilled birth attendance. You can compare it with health spending in Latin America by country, with life expectancy in the region and with the fertility rate.
How to cite this data
Vivarae News (2026). "Child mortality in Latin America: ranking by country 2026". Updated November 4, 2026. Available at https://vivaraenews.com/en/child-mortality-in-latin-america-ranking-by-country-2026/. The data may be reproduced by citing Vivarae News and linking to this page; each country's figures are UN IGME estimates published by the World Bank.
Frequently asked questions
Which Latin American country has the lowest child mortality?
Chile, with 6.8 deaths of children under 5 per 1,000 live births in 2024, followed by Uruguay (7.4) and Cuba (8.6), according to UN IGME and the World Bank.
Which country has the highest child mortality in the region?
The Dominican Republic, with 30.6 per 1,000 for children under 5, followed by Venezuela (24.2) and Guatemala (20.5). Outside this ranking, Haiti records 52.8.
What is child mortality in Mexico, Argentina and Peru?
Mexico 13.1, Argentina 9.5 and Peru 12.9 deaths of children under 5 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
What is the global average?
37.4 deaths of children under 5 per 1,000 live births in 2024; Latin America and the Caribbean average 15.4.
How often is this data updated?
UN IGME publishes a new round of estimates roughly once a year; this page is updated at the same URL when they change.
