How did child death rates in 2024 compare to 2023 in the United States?
Executive summary
U.S. infant deaths numbered about 20,145 in 2023 with an infant mortality rate of 560.2 per 100,000 live births (which CDC presents as 5.602 per 1,000) and was essentially unchanged from 2022 (20,553 deaths; 560.4 per 100,000) according to CDC NCHS reporting [1]. Broader measures of “child mortality” vary by age group and dataset; CDC’s Interactive FastStats shows 4,059 deaths and a rate of 27.3 per 100,000 for one children’s mortality measure [2], while U.S.-focused analyses and international comparisons stress that U.S. children die at higher rates than peer countries for ages 1–19 [3] [4].
1. What the official U.S. data say about infants in 2023
Final national vital statistics compiled by CDC/NCHS show 20,145 infant deaths in 2023 and an infant mortality rate of 560.2 per 100,000 live births; that is nearly identical to 2022’s 20,553 deaths and 560.4 per 100,000, with NCHS noting a statistically significant change only for some specific causes, not a large overall shift [1].
2. Different measures, different headlines — why comparisons can be confusing
“Child mortality” is not one single metric: reports measure infants (under 1 year), under‑5 deaths, deaths before age 20, or deaths per 100,000 in different age bands. For example, a CDC FastStats snapshot lists 4,059 deaths and 27.3 deaths per 100,000 population for a children’s mortality indicator drawn from NVSS mortality (different denominators and age ranges apply) — showing how raw numbers or rates depend on the exact definition used [2].
3. Young children versus older children and teens
International and U.S. analyses separate neonatal/infant deaths from mortality among older children and adolescents because causes diverge sharply. CDC/NCHS emphasizes infant causes (congenital anomalies, preterm birth complications, maternal conditions, SIDS, unintentional injury) when reporting infant rates [1]. By contrast, U.S. data examined by research outlets and public‑health analysts highlight firearms, motor vehicle crashes and poisoning as leading mechanisms of injury death for ages 1–19 — a pattern that raises U.S.–peer‑country concerns [4] [3].
4. The U.S in international context
Researchers cited by Science and compiled analyses find U.S. children ages 1–19 faced substantially higher mortality than peers in other high‑income countries from 2007–2023, estimating the U.S. was about 80% more likely to experience a death in that age range and that firearm deaths drove much of the gap [3]. America’s Health Rankings similarly underscores firearms, traffic crashes and poisoning as leading mechanisms in recent U.S. child injury deaths [4].
5. What changed from 2023 to 2024 — provisional signals and limits
Provisional dashboards exist for 2024 infant mortality and for overall death trends, and some data releases suggest small year‑to‑year changes; however, the finality and comparability of 2024 figures vary. CDC posts provisional infant mortality dashboards and notes estimates for 2024 are based on provisional birth and death data, while 2023 figures are final — meaning cautious interpretation is required until final 2024 NVSS data are released [5]. Available sources do not mention a single consolidated national statement comparing overall child death rates for 2023 versus 2024 across all age groups.
6. Where reporting can be misread or weaponized
Because different agencies and analysts use varying age ranges, denominators (per 1,000 live births vs. per 100,000 population), and provisional versus final data, selective citation can exaggerate small changes or create impressions of dramatic year‑to‑year swings. For example, infant deaths are typically presented per 1,000 live births in public health reports but some summaries here present per 100,000 — mixing those without conversion causes confusion [1] [5] [2].
7. What to watch next
Look for NCHS’s finalized NVSS mortality release that consolidates 2024 death certificate data and for quarterly updates on the CDC infant‑mortality dashboard which will replace provisional estimates with final counts; those releases will allow direct, age‑specific 2023-to-2024 comparisons [5] [1]. Meanwhile, policy debates will focus on injury prevention (firearm access, traffic safety, poisoning prevention) because both America’s Health Rankings and peer‑reviewed analyses point to injury mechanisms as central to U.S. child‑mortality gaps [4] [3].
Limitations: this analysis uses the provided sources only and therefore cannot report any 2024 final NVSS child‑mortality totals unless they are in those sources; available sources do not mention a definitive, consolidated 2023 vs. 2024 child‑death rate comparison across all U.S. child age groups [5] [1].