Countries with the Highest Number of Newborn Deaths, 2007

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

More than two-thirds of all newborn deaths (2.7 million out of 4 million each year) occur in just 10 countries. Many of these countries have very large populations (such as India and China) and others have very high percentages of newborns dying (such as Afghanistan, Dem. Rep. of Congo, and Tanzania). These are places where mothers are also at high risk of death during pregnancy or childbirth—more than 60% of maternal deaths occur in these same 10 countries.

CountryRanking for number
of newborn deaths
Total Number of
newborn deaths
Ranking for number
of maternal deaths
Total Number of
maternal deaths
India11,919,0001136,000
Nigeria21,043,000237,000
DR Congo3589,000424,000
Ethiopia4509,000424,000
Pakistan5473,000326,000
China6467,000911,000
Afghanistan7370,000720,000
Bangladesh8274,000816,000
Uganda9200,0001210,000
Angola10199,000911,000
6,043,000 315,000
(approx. 60% of global total) (approx. 60% of global total)
1. Tied with Angola and Kenya.
2. Tied with Uganda.
Source: Save the Children, State of the World's Mothers 2007.
Life Expectancy for Countries, 2009Health and Social StatisticsLeading Causes of Mortality Throughout the World, 2002
Health and Social Statistics
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