A bar chart showing the causes of death in children under five globally in 2023, with 'Neonatal preterm birth' and 'Pneumonia' as the leading causes.

Bar chart detailing the estimated annual number of deaths from various causes in children under five worldwide in 2023.

Causes of death in children under five, World, 2023 The estimated annual number of deaths from each cause. Estimates come with wide uncertainties especially for countries with poor vital registration. Neonatal preterm birth 623,000 Pneumonia 610,000 Neonatal asphyxia & trauma 562,000 Congenital birth defects 459,000 Malaria 409,000 Diarrheal diseases 317,000 Neonatal sepsis & infections 223,000 Other neonatal disorders 189,000 Measles 118,000 Nutritional deficiencies 91,500 Meningitis 86,600 Syphilis 73,000 Tuberculosis 47,800 Drowning 47,300 COVID-19 43,000 Cancers 42,200 Invasive Non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) 42,200 Road accidents 41,600 Cardiovascular disease 38,800 HIV/AIDS 36,500 Digestive diseases 27,400 Fire 22,500 Hepatitis 18,400 Homicide 13,700 Natural disasters 12,400 Kidney disease 7,740 Diabetes mellitus 2,720 Heat-related deaths (hot or cold exposure) 971 Our World in Data Data source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2025) OurWorldinData.org/causes-of-death | CC BY