Mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Mortality rate, infant was 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
5.3 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
143rd
of 195 countries
All-time high
48.4 per 1,000 live births
in 1970
All-time low
5.3 per 1,000 live births
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka, 1970–2023

1020304050197019962023

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in per 1,000 live births.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 5.3 per 1,000 live births for mortality rate, infant in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.6% on the previous year and down 34.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka peaked at 48.4 per 1,000 live births in 1970 and was at its lowest, 5.3 per 1,000 live births, in 2023.

Sri Lanka ranks 143rd of 195 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) in Sri Lanka, 1970 to 2023.
Year per 1,000 live births Change
1970 48.4 per 1,000 live births
1971 48.1 per 1,000 live births -0.6%
1972 47.9 per 1,000 live births -0.4%
1973 47.5 per 1,000 live births -0.8%
1974 46.7 per 1,000 live births -1.7%
1975 45.3 per 1,000 live births -3.0%
1976 43.4 per 1,000 live births -4.2%
1977 41.1 per 1,000 live births -5.3%
1978 38.4 per 1,000 live births -6.6%
1979 35.7 per 1,000 live births -7.0%
1980 33.2 per 1,000 live births -7.0%
1981 30.8 per 1,000 live births -7.2%
1982 28.7 per 1,000 live births -6.8%
1983 26.6 per 1,000 live births -7.3%
1984 24.3 per 1,000 live births -8.6%
1985 22.1 per 1,000 live births -9.1%
1986 20.2 per 1,000 live births -8.6%
1987 18.9 per 1,000 live births -6.4%
1988 18.1 per 1,000 live births -4.2%
1989 19.3 per 1,000 live births +6.6%
1990 17.9 per 1,000 live births -7.3%
1991 18 per 1,000 live births +0.6%
1992 17.9 per 1,000 live births -0.6%
1993 17.5 per 1,000 live births -2.2%
1994 16.9 per 1,000 live births -3.4%
1995 16.3 per 1,000 live births -3.6%
1996 15.6 per 1,000 live births -4.3%
1997 14.8 per 1,000 live births -5.1%
1998 14.1 per 1,000 live births -4.7%
1999 13.5 per 1,000 live births -4.3%
2000 13 per 1,000 live births -3.7%
2001 12.7 per 1,000 live births -2.3%
2002 12.4 per 1,000 live births -2.4%
2003 12.1 per 1,000 live births -2.4%
2004 16.7 per 1,000 live births +38.0%
2005 11.2 per 1,000 live births -32.9%
2006 10.7 per 1,000 live births -4.5%
2007 10.2 per 1,000 live births -4.7%
2008 9.7 per 1,000 live births -4.9%
2009 13 per 1,000 live births +34.0%
2010 9.1 per 1,000 live births -30.0%
2011 8.9 per 1,000 live births -2.2%
2012 8.5 per 1,000 live births -4.5%
2013 8.1 per 1,000 live births -4.7%
2014 7.7 per 1,000 live births -4.9%
2015 7.4 per 1,000 live births -3.9%
2016 7 per 1,000 live births -5.4%
2017 6.7 per 1,000 live births -4.3%
2018 6.5 per 1,000 live births -3.0%
2019 6.2 per 1,000 live births -4.6%
2020 6 per 1,000 live births -3.2%
2021 5.8 per 1,000 live births -3.3%
2022 5.5 per 1,000 live births -5.2%
2023 5.3 per 1,000 live births -3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 44.25 per 1,000 live births 35.7 per 1,000 live births 48.4 per 1,000 live births 10
1980s 24.22 per 1,000 live births 18.1 per 1,000 live births 33.2 per 1,000 live births 10
1990s 16.25 per 1,000 live births 13.5 per 1,000 live births 18 per 1,000 live births 10
2000s 12.17 per 1,000 live births 9.7 per 1,000 live births 16.7 per 1,000 live births 10
2010s 7.61 per 1,000 live births 6.2 per 1,000 live births 9.1 per 1,000 live births 10
2020s 5.65 per 1,000 live births 5.3 per 1,000 live births 6 per 1,000 live births 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 140 Uruguay 5.5 per 1,000 live births compare
  2. 140 United States of America 5.5 per 1,000 live births compare
  3. 142 Romania 5.4 per 1,000 live births compare
  4. 143 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.3 per 1,000 live births compare
  5. 145 Slovakia 5.1 per 1,000 live births compare
  6. 146 Bulgaria 5 per 1,000 live births compare
  7. 146 Maldives 5 per 1,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More population data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka?
Mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka was 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest mortality rate, infant recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 48.4 per 1,000 live births in 1970.
What is the lowest mortality rate, infant recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023.
How does Sri Lanka rank for mortality rate, infant?
Sri Lanka ranks 143rd out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is mortality rate, infant rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Mortality rate, infant in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/mortality-rate-infant-per-1-000-live-births-3/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births)
Unit
per 1,000 live births
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
195 places, 10,178 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release