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Despite population growth, the number of deaths in children under five worldwide declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011, which translates into about 14,000 fewer children dying each day.
Despite determined progress, an increasing proportion of child deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.
As the rate of under-five deaths overall declines, the proportion that occurs during the first month after birth is increasing.
Mortality is more likely to strike children in rural areas.
Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as those from wealthier families.
Children of educated mothers—even mothers with only primary schooling—are more likely to survive than children of mothers with no education.
