Child Mortality (under 5) in Canada: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind every statistic is a human life, measured in the fragile threshold of a child's first five years. For Canada, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there. Of every 1,000 children born, how many died before their fifth birthday reveals a profound shift in human survival, tracing an invisible line from eras of devastating loss to eras of remarkable preservation.

The historical arc unfolds decade by decade, charting a steady, relentless decline. In the 1800s estimate, child mortality stood at 327.54 per 1,000 births, easing slightly through the 1810s estimate at 313.03, the 1820s estimate at 298.51, and the 1830s estimate at 284. The trajectory continued downward through the 1840s estimate at 269.49, the 1850s estimate at 254.97, the 1860s estimate at 240.46, the 1870s estimate at 225.94, the 1880s estimate at 211.43, and the 1890s estimate at 196.91. By the turn of the century, in 1900 it was 182.4 per 1,000 births, mirroring the 1900s estimate of 182.4. The descent persisted through the 1910s estimate at 153.03, the 1920s estimate at 123.65, the 1930s estimate at 94.28, and the 1940s estimate at 64.9. Momentum accelerated in the mid-century with the 1950s at 35.53, the 1960s at 27.72, the 1970s at 19.91, the 1980s at 12.1, the 1990s at 9.41, the 2000s at 6.72, and the 2010s at 5.81.

In the 2020s, child mortality (under 5) in Canada stands at 4.9 per 1,000 births — ranking #52 of 157 countries, reflecting the current 2020s decade. Looking ahead, the numbers point toward further improvement in the 2030s projection at 3.92, the 2040s projection at 3.14, the 2050s projection at 2.51, the 2060s projection at 2.01, the 2070s projection at 1.61, the 2080s projection at 1.5, the 2090s projection at 1.5, and the 2100s projection at 1.5. These changes fundamentally alter what it means to be born in Canada, reshaping families across generations. Keep exploring Life Expectancy at Birth in Canada, Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) in Canada, Years of Schooling in Canada, Children per Woman in Canada, Living in Cities in Canada, Full country profile: Canada. Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →