Is Canada’s infant mortality rate improving?
Canada’s infant mortality rate fell significantly between 1960 and 1980—from 27 deaths per 1,000 live births to 10 deaths. The mortality rate continued to improve in the 1980s and 1990s, but not as dramatically. It has been relatively stable since 1998, although it did drop from 5.4 in 2005 to 5.0 in 2006. Even though Canada’s infant mortality rate has decreased since the 1960s, the rate of improvement has been lower than in most of Canada’s peer countries. Japan’s infant mortality rate, for example, was higher than Canada’s in 1960, at 31 infants per 1,000 live births. In 2006 it was 2.6, about half the rate in Canada. In 1990, Canada ranked 5th among the 17 peer countries. It is now tied with the U.K. for the second-highest infant mortality rate—only the U.S. performs worse. Use the pull-down menu to compare the change in Canada’s infant mortality rate with that of its peers.
