Human Upgrades✓✓ 2 independent sources
Child mortality and causes of death
Nonetheless in 2024, an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday, including 2.3 million newborns, along with 2.1 million older children,
Child mortality has fallen for decades: deaths of children under five dropped from roughly 12.8 million in 1990 to about 4.9 million in 2024, with newborns in their first 28 days accounting for 2.3 million (47%) of those. Vaccines, nutrition programs, clean water and skilled birth care drove the decline — yet preventable causes still claim a child every few seconds, which is why the work continues.
In 2024 an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday — down from 12.8 million in 1990.