India sustains progress in reducing child deaths amid slowing global gains, says new UN report

India shows significant progress in reducing child mortality, despite global slowdowns, highlights a new UN report on child health.

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to the latest estimates released by a UN report on child mortality, which assessed leading causes of under-five mortality. The report, released on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), said that most of these deaths were preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality healthcare.

The report titled ‘Levels and Trends in Child Mortality’ added that under-five deaths globally have fallen by more than half since 2000. However, since 2015, the pace of reduction in child mortality has slowed by more than 60%.

However, India is among the countries demonstrating steady progress in reducing child mortality through sustained public health efforts. The latest United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025 states that the status of neonatal mortality rate reduction in India has shown progress.

The Union Health Ministry added that India, over the past two decades, has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality in the South Asia region.

The Union Health Ministry in its release said that the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) recorded a decline from 1990. In 1990, India had an NMR of 57 per 1,000 live, which fell to 17 in 2024. 

Also, the Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) witnessed a sharp fall — in 1990, the U5MR stood at 127 per 1,000 live births, while in 2024 it declined to 27.