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

Behind every statistic lies the quiet reality of a family holding its breath. In the 2020s, child mortality (under 5) in Panama stands at 16 per 1,000 births — ranking #89 of 157 countries. This metric measures the fragile threshold between infancy and the fifth birthday, capturing the immense weight of human loss and survival across generations. Every number on this page represents real children born into a specific time, facing the stark probabilities of their era.

The historical arc stretches across three centuries of profound transformation. In the 1800s estimate, child mortality (under 5) was 420 per 1,000 births, declining gradually through the 1810s estimate 413, the 1820s estimate 406, the 1830s estimate 399, the 1840s estimate 392, the 1850s estimate 385, the 1860s estimate 378, the 1870s estimate 371, the 1880s estimate 364, and the 1890s estimate 357. By the turn of the century, the 1900s estimate recorded 350 per 1,000 births, mirroring the figure noted in 1900 it was 350 per 1,000 births. From there, the decline steepened through the 1910s estimate 316, 1920s estimate 282, 1930s estimate 248, 1940s estimate 214, 1950s 180, 1960s 146.67, 1970s 113.33, 1980s 80, 1990s 56, 2000s 32, and 2010s 24. Looking ahead, projections trace a continued descent through the 2030s projection 12.8, 2040s projection 10.24, 2050s projection 8.19, 2060s projection 6.55, 2070s projection 5.24, 2080s projection 4.19, 2090s projection 3.36, down to the 2100s projection 2.68.

Where you stand in history changes the fundamental odds of your earliest years. If you entered the world in the 1800s estimate, nearly half of all children faced the shadow of early death, whereas arriving in the 2020s places you among a vastly different demographic reality. These figures do not just chart medical progress; they map the changing horizon of human vulnerability and endurance. Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →