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

Behind every statistical rate lies a profound human story of survival, grief, and parental hope across generations. At MYRIAD, we examine the quantitative reality of human lives, looking at what these numbers tell us about the fragile beginning of existence. For Finland, the data tracks how many children out of every 1,000 born failed to reach their fifth birthday. Every single data point represents real children, real families, and the changing odds of survival against which human existence has unfolded over three centuries.

The historical arc of child mortality in Finland shows a steady, profound transformation over time. In the 1800s estimate, the toll reached 319.11 per 1,000 births, gradually falling through the decades until it reached 180.67 per 1,000 births in the 1900s estimate. This downward trajectory continued decade by decade through the 1910s estimate, 1920s estimate, 1930s estimate, 1940s estimate, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, arriving at the current era. Looking forward, the 2030s projection, 2040s projection, 2050s projection, 2060s projection, 2070s projection, 2080s projection, 2090s projection, and 2100s projection outline the anticipated future landscape of these early years of life.

If you were born in Finland today, your world is defined by unprecedented safety, with child mortality (under 5) standing at 1.9 per 1,000 births, which places the nation at ranking #1 of 157 countries. This contrasts sharply with the past, such as in 1900 when it was 180.67 per 1,000 births, or the earlier centuries recorded in the data. These statistics, compiled by MYRIAD from sources including UN IGME, World Bank, and Gapminder, map out the shifting boundaries of life and death across time.

Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →