New data from the United Nations reveals that approximately 4.9 million children worldwide failed to reach their fifth birthday during 2024, highlighting concerns that global efforts to reduce childhood mortality have plateaued.
The statistics, released by UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and the UN population division, indicate that the majority of these deaths could have been avoided through improved healthcare access and affordable medical treatments for issues such as premature birth complications and diseases like malaria.
While childhood deaths that could be prevented have dropped by more than half since 2000, the international agencies note that advancement has decelerated since 2015.
The 2022 figure also stood at 4.9 million, marking a record low at that time, while 2023 saw 4.8 million deaths. Although the 2024 numbers suggest an increase, officials explain that different calculation methods were used between years, making direct comparisons impossible.
A World Health Organization representative acknowledged a worldwide deceleration in mortality reduction efforts. “However… we do see a global slowdown in mortality reduction,” the spokesperson stated, citing armed conflicts, economic uncertainty, climate-related challenges, and inadequate health infrastructure as contributing factors to the stagnant progress. The representative added that reduced aid funding would compound these difficulties.
“Together, these pressures risk undermining past achievements and could lead to stagnation – or even reversal – in hard-won child survival gains if not addressed,” the spokesperson warned.
The Wednesday data release covers 2024, preceding significant international aid budget reductions initiated by the United States and subsequently adopted by major donor nations including the United Kingdom and Germany.
According to a Gates Foundation analysis from late 2025, worldwide development assistance for health decreased by nearly 27% in 2025 compared to 2024. The foundation cautioned that these funding cuts were causing child mortality progress to reverse course.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed concern about the trend. “No child should die from diseases that we know how to prevent. But we see worrying signs that progress in child survival is slowing – and at a time where we’re seeing further global budget cuts,” Russell stated. The organizations noted that funding reductions could also hamper progress monitoring due to weakened data gathering capabilities.
The analysis draws from UN statistics and projections provided by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
