This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from Rwanda statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from Rwandan statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other Rwandan-specific metadata information.
| Indicator available |
Under-five mortality rate |
|---|---|
| Indicator description |
The under-five mortality rate describes the probability of dying between birth and the fifth birthday, based on the number of deaths before the age of 5 per 1000 live births in the reference period. |
| Geographical coverage |
Rwanda |
| Unit of measurement |
Per 1000 live births |
| Definitions |
Probability (expressed as a rate per 1000 live births) of a child born alive in a specified period dying before reaching the age of five, if subject to current age specific mortality rates. |
| Calculations |
(Number of deaths under the age of 5 in the reference period / Total number of live births in the reference period) * 1000 |
| Other information |
Figures for the total under-5 mortality rate, as well as breakdowns by sex and urban/rural residence for 2020 and 2025, are calculated based on the 5-year period preceding the survey; breakdowns by sex and urban/rural residence for 2008, 2010, and 2015, as well as all breakdowns by province, are calculated based on the 10-year period preceding the survey. Note that breakdowns from different periods cannot be directly compared. For more details, see the linked data source. Alternative estimates of the under-five mortality rate developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) can be found on the WHO Data Portal. |
| Comments and limitations |
Figures from the Demographic and Health Survey are subject to recall error. Interviewed women may omit births and deaths or include stillbirths along with live births. Survey data may also suffer from survivor selection bias and age truncation. Mothers may misreport their children’s birth dates, current ages or ages at death, perhaps more so if the child has died. The heaping of deaths at age 12 months is especially common. Age heaping may transfer deaths across the one year boundary and lead to underestimates of infant mortality rates. Fortunately, it has little effect on under five mortality rates, which makes the under-five mortality rate a more robust estimate than the infant mortality rate when data are drawn from household surveys. For more details on limitations, see the linked data source. |
| Data last updated |
12/10/2026 |
| Metadata last updated |
12/10/2026 |