Under-Five Mortality Rate Calculator
Enter the demographics data below to calculate the rate per 1,000 live births.
What is the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR)?
The Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) is a critical indicator of child health and overall development within a specific region or population. It measures the probability of a child dying between birth and exactly five years of age.
This metric is expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. It is widely used by organizations like UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor progress in child survival, healthcare quality, nutritional status, and environmental safety.
How to Calculate Under-Five Mortality Rate
While professional demographers often use life tables for precise probability calculations, the standard simplified method for calculating the rate for a specific period is straightforward. You compare the number of deaths of children under five to the number of live births in the same period.
The Variables:
- Numerator: The total number of deaths of children aged 0 to 4 years (0 to 59 months) during a specific year or period.
- Denominator: The total number of live births that occurred during that same year or period.
- Multiplier: The result is multiplied by 1,000 to express the figure "per 1,000 live births."
Example Calculation
To understand how this works, let's look at a realistic example for a hypothetical region:
- Total Live Births: 12,500
- Deaths of Children Under 5: 350
Using the formula:
(350 ÷ 12,500) = 0.028
0.028 × 1,000 = 28
Result: The Under-Five Mortality Rate is 28 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Why is U5MR Important?
The U5MR is considered one of the most robust indicators of a nation's health because children under five are the most vulnerable to external factors. A high rate often indicates:
- Poor access to healthcare and vaccinations.
- Inadequate nutrition and sanitation.
- High prevalence of infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.
Reducing this rate is a key target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 3.2, which aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.