Infant mortality in Russia: how many children die before age one, data 2026
In 2025 in Russia there were 3.6 deaths under one year of age per thousand live births. This is the lowest figure in our series: in 2010 it was 7.5, in 2000 it was 15.3. Below, based on Rosstat data, we examine how the indicator has changed, how boys and girls differ, which regions have higher or lower rates, and why the figure for a single region cannot be read without caveats. Each section includes a chart, and the full tables are available on the website.
What is infant mortality
Infant mortality is the number of children who die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births in the same year. The indicator is calculated as a rate in order to compare years and regions with different numbers of births. It is often called one of the main health indicators of a country: it depends on obstetric care, maternal health, availability of pediatrics, and living standards.
Within the year, neonatal mortality, i.e., the first 28 days of life, is also distinguished. Rosstat publishes it as a separate indicator, while this article discusses mortality up to one year as a whole.
Infant mortality in Russia by year
The indicator fell almost continuously. In 2008, 8.5 children per thousand live births died, in 2015 — 6.5, in 2020 — 4.5, in 2024 — 4.0, and in 2025 — 3.6. Over 15 years, from 2010 to 2025, it decreased by more than half: by 52%.
The chart shows a slight rise in 2012, to 8.6. This is not due to worsening medicine but to methodology: since 2012 Russia switched to international live‑birth criteria and began counting children born with very low weight as live births. Such children die more often, and the indicator temporarily increased. Rosstat notes this in the table footnotes. Another note: until 2014 the data were compiled without Crimea and Sevastopol, and a series for 2022–2024 is published without the new regions.
View the full series and download the values in the dataset number of children who died before age 1 in Russia.
How this looks in children, not per mille
The relative indicator hides the scale, so it is useful to look at absolute numbers as well. In 2000, 19,286 children under one year died in Russia, in 2010 — 13,405, in 2021 — 6,516, in 2022 — 5,876, in 2023 — 5,313. Over 23 years the number of deaths fell by a factor of 3.6, and the indicator per thousand live births dropped from 15.3 to 4.2.
Simply put: if in 2000 fifteen out of every thousand newborns did not survive to one year, in 2025 fewer than four did.
Boys and Girls
Boys die in the first year of life more often than girls, and this is not a peculiarity of Russia. The gap persisted in all years, but narrowed together with the overall rate.
| Year | Boys per 1,000 | Girls per 1,000 | Total per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.3 | 13.2 | 15.3 |
| 2010 | 8.6 | 6.9 | 7.5 |
| 2021 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| 2022 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
In 2000 the difference between boys and girls was 4.1 points, in 2023 it was 0.7. In absolute numbers, in 2023, 2,957 boys and 2,356 girls died.
The years on the chart are not consecutive: Rosstat publishes separate reference points in the yearbook. The full series broken down by sex is available in the dataset infant mortality in Russia by year.
Infant Mortality by Federal Districts
The spread between districts over 15 years has shrunk sharply. In 2010, in the North Caucasus, 12.0 children per thousand newborns died, while in the Central district it was 6.6, almost half as many. In 2025 the difference between the highest and the lowest district was only 1.1 points.
| District | 2010 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| North Caucasus | 12.0 | 4.3 |
| Siberian | 8.4 | 4.1 |
| Far Eastern | 9.6 | 3.9 |
| Northwestern | 5.6 | 3.8 |
| Southern | 7.1 | 3.6 |
| Ural | 6.7 | 3.6 |
| Central | 6.6 | 3.4 |
| Volga | 6.8 | 3.2 |
The North Caucasus district reduced the indicator the most: from 12.0 to 4.3, almost threefold. The lowest indicator in 2025 was in the Volga district, 3.2.
All districts and regions are compiled in one dataset: infant mortality indicators in the Russian Federation. These are data from the national list of Sustainable Development Goal indicators.
Where infant mortality is higher and where it is lower
In 2025 the highest rate was in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: 11.2 per thousand live births. It is followed by Magadan Oblast (7.4), Tver Oblast (6.7), Kamchatka Krai (6.4) and Penza Oblast (5.8). Dagestan has 5.2, North Ossetia 5.7.
The lowest rates are in the Republic of Kalmykia (1.0), Sakhalin Oblast (1.6) and Tatarstan (1.8). In Moscow it is 3.4, in Saint Petersburg 3.5, which is close to the national average.
Several regions have made a huge progress over 15 years. In Dagestan it was 14.3, now 5.2. In Chechnya 15.1 and 3.9, in Ingushetia 12.8 and 4.8, in Tuva 13.0 and 4.7. Tatarstan reduced the rate from 5.6 to 1.8.
Why you cannot trust a single year in a small region
A rank based on one year can be misleading. In Kalmykia a few thousand children are born each year, and one or two infant deaths shift the rate by several tenths of a point. Chukotka illustrates this best: in 2024 it was 25.7, in 2025 11.2, and over 2010–2025 the values jumped between 10.5 and 25.7. This does not mean that healthcare in the district gets better one year and worse the next. The district’s population is small, and random fluctuations are dozens of times more noticeable than in Russia as a whole.
Therefore, for regions it is better to look at the dynamics over several years rather than the latest figure. The interactive regional infant mortality ranking allows you to change the year and compare neighbours, and you can open a separate page for your own region, for example Moscow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is infant mortality in Russia now?
In 2025, 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births occurred among children under one year old. The year before it was 4.0, in 2023 it was 4.2.
Why is infant mortality decreasing?
Rosstat publishes the indicator itself, not its causes, so we do not attempt to explain the decline. The data show one thing: it occurred in all districts.
Who dies more often: boys or girls?
Boys. In 2023 the rate for boys was 4.5 per thousand, for girls 3.8.
Where in Russia is infant mortality the highest?
According to 2025 data, in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug it was 11.2. But this is a sparsely populated region, and the figure varies greatly from year to year.
How does infant mortality differ from child mortality?
Infant mortality is counted up to one year of age. Child mortality covers ages up to five years or up to 18, with its own data sets, for example the number of children who died before age 5.
In Brief
- In 2025 Russia recorded 3.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births; in 2010 it was 7.5, in 2000 it was 15.3.
- From 2000 to 2023 the number of infant deaths fell from 19,286 to 5,313.
- Boys die more often than girls: 4.5 versus 3.8 per thousand in 2023.
- The gap between districts narrowed: in 2010 it was 12.0 in the North Caucasus versus 6.6 in the Central district, in 2025 it was 4.3 and 3.4.
- For small regions one year tells nothing: Chukotka showed 25.7 in 2024, and 11.2 in 2025.
All figures are taken from Rosstat data published on roschart.ru.