Eurostat: Infant Mortality in the EU is Highest in Romania and Bulgaria

In the EU in 2018, around 14 600 children died before reaching one year of age. This is equivalent to an infant mortality rate of 3.4 deaths per 1 000 live births, Eurostat data showed.

During the 10 years from 2008 to 2018, the infant mortality rate in the EU fell from 4.2 deaths per 1 000 live births to 3.4 deaths per 1 000 live births. Extending the analysis to the last 20 years, the infant mortality rate was almost halved (6.6 deaths per 1 000 in 1998).

In 2018, the highest infant mortality rates in the EU were registered in Romania (6.0 deaths per 1 000 live births), Bulgaria (5.8 deaths) and Malta (5.6 deaths), and the lowest in Estonia (1.6 deaths) and Slovenia (1.7 deaths).