4.9 million under-five deaths in 2024 as progress slows

Around 4.9 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday in 2024, according to new estimates from the United Nations, highlighting a worrying slowdown in progress to reduce child mortality even before recent global aid cuts.

Most of these deaths were preventable with better access to basic healthcare and low-cost interventions for conditions such as complications from preterm birth and diseases like malaria, according to a joint report by UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Population Division.

Child deaths have more than halved since 2000, the agencies said, but progress has slowed significantly since 2015. The number of deaths stood at 4.9 million in 2022—a record low—and 4.8 million in 2023. While the 2024 estimate appears to show a rise, the agencies cautioned that changes in methodology mean the figures are not directly comparable.

Global slowdown raises concern

“We do see a global slowdown in mortality reduction,” a WHO spokesperson said, pointing to conflict, economic instability, climate change, and weak health systems as key factors behind the trend. She warned that recent cuts to international aid could further worsen the situation.

“Together, these pressures risk undermining past achievements and could lead to stagnation—or even reversal—in hard-won gains in child survival if not addressed,” she added.

The 2024 data predates major aid reductions by key donors, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. However, global development assistance for health fell by nearly 27% in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a report by the Gates Foundation, which warned that such cuts could reverse progress in reducing child mortality.

“No child should die from diseases we know how to prevent,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Yet we are seeing troubling signs that progress in child survival is slowing—at a time when global budgets are shrinking.”

The agencies also warned that funding cuts could weaken data collection systems, making it harder to monitor child mortality trends.

The report draws on UN data and estimates from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.