Under-five mortality in low-income countries is approximately how many per 1,000 live births?

Under-five mortality in low-income countries is approximately how many per 1,000 live births?

• A. 60
• B. 117
• C. 7
• D. 18

Answer: (B)

Under-five mortality rate is the probability that a child born in a given year will die before reaching age five, expressed per 1,000 live births. In low-income countries, health systems face significant challenges—malnutrition, infectious diseases, limited access to vaccines and clean water, and gaps in maternal and child healthcare—so this rate stays very high. An approximate figure around 117 per 1,000 reflects this reality, meaning about 11.7% of children die before age five. This rate is much higher than in high-income countries, where under-five mortality is commonly well below 10 per 1,000. The other numbers are too low to represent the burden typically seen in low-income settings.

Under-five mortality rate is the probability that a child born in a given year will die before reaching age five, expressed per 1,000 live births. In low-income countries, health systems face significant challenges—malnutrition, infectious diseases, limited access to vaccines and clean water, and gaps in maternal and child healthcare—so this rate stays very high. An approximate figure around 117 per 1,000 reflects this reality, meaning about 11.7% of children die before age five. This rate is much higher than in high-income countries, where under-five mortality is commonly well below 10 per 1,000. The other numbers are too low to represent the burden typically seen in low-income settings.