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01 / 05
US Death Rate Falls to Its Lowest Point on Record

Wall Street Journal | Overall Mortality

US Death Rate Falls to Its Lowest Point on Record

“The U.S. overall death rate in 2025 fell to its lowest point on record, even as influenza and pneumonia are now among the nation’s top 10 causes of death for the first time in years, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The death rate fell 4.6% last year, to 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people, down from 722.1 in 2024, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The death rate declined across every age group and nearly every demographic group tracked in the provisional report.

The main driver of that record low was a continued drop in drug overdose deaths, said Farida Ahmad, a health scientist at the CDC and one of the report’s co-authors. Another factor, she added, was that Covid-19 no longer contributed to as many deaths.”

From Wall Street Journal.

National Health Commission of the PRC | Overall Mortality

China Reports Record-Low Child Mortality Rates in 2025

“China has made substantial progress in improving child health during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with key mortality indicators now among the best in upper-middle-income countries, the National Health Commission said on Monday.

In 2025, the country’s infant mortality rate dropped to 3.8 per 1,000 live births, and the under-5 mortality rate fell to 5.4 per 1,000 live births, according to Fu Wei, director of the commission’s Department of Maternal and Child Health.”

From National Health Commission of the PRC.

Times of India | Overall Mortality

The Reasons Behind India’s Falling Infant Mortality Rate

“India has recorded a significant decline in infant deaths over the past decade, with the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) falling to 24 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024…

The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2024 shows that India reduced its IMR from 30 in 2019 to 24 in 2024, reflecting an annual average decline of around one point. The improvement has been driven largely by a sharp increase in institutional deliveries and expanded maternal and child healthcare services across the country.”

From Times of India.

STAT | Overall Mortality

The US Infant Mortality Rate Fell to an All-Time Low

“Infant mortality in the U.S. dropped to a new all-time low in 2025, according to preliminary government data.

There were slightly fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While that appears to be a small decline from about 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the two years preceding, researchers say it is statistically meaningful and translates to hundreds of fewer infant deaths per year.”

From STAT.

UNICEF | Overall Mortality

The World’s Great Child Mortality Decline Since 1990

“Since 1990, the world has made remarkable progress: the under five mortality rate has fallen by about 60 per cent, and neonatal mortality by 45 per cent, saving millions of young lives. These gains reflect decades of investment in immunization, essential health services, newborn care, nutrition support and the integrated management of childhood illnesses.

However, this momentum is slowing. While mortality levels today are far lower than in past decades, the current rate of decline means that 27.3 million under five deaths are projected between 2025 and 2030 — nearly 13 million of which will occur in the neonatal period. These deaths remain concentrated in the same regions that continue to face the steepest barriers to quality health services: sub Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.”

From UNICEF.