The leading cause of death for children depends on their age group and location, specifically whether the data is global or specific to a country like the United States.
Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, remain a leading cause of under-five deaths, along with preterm birth and intrapartum-related complications. The global under-five mortality rate declined by 61 per cent, from 94 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 37 in 2023.
Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, along with pre-term birth complications, birth asphyxia and trauma and congenital anomalies remain the leading causes of death for children under 5 years.
The information below is from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accidents (unintentional injuries) are, by far, the leading cause of death among children and teens.
Accidents account for nearly one-half of all teenage deaths. As a category of accidents, motor vehicle fatality is the leading cause of death to teenagers, representing over one-third of all deaths.
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
Major causes of death among children vary by age. Children under 5 are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, HIV and tuberculosis. For older children, non-communicable diseases, injuries and conflict pose significant threats.
Deaths from diseases and morbid conditions accounted for 71% of all child deaths. – 24 deaths from fatal assault and neglect, or 0.4 per 100,000. Suicide was the leading or equal leading external cause of child death in four jurisdictions – New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Northern Territory.
The 10 leading causes of death in 2023 in ranked order were: Diseases of heart; Malignant neoplasms; Accidents (unintentional injuries); Cerebrovascular diseases; Chronic lower respiratory diseases; Alzheimer disease; Diabetes mellitus; Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis; Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis; ...
Countries with the highest child mortality rates worldwide 2023. All countries of the 20 countries worldwide with the highest number of children under the age of five dying per 1,000 live births were found in Sub-Saharan Africa, with Niger, Nigeria, and Somalia topping the list.
Lower respiratory infections remained the world's most deadly communicable disease other than COVID-19, ranked as the fifth leading cause of death. However, the number of deaths has gone down substantially: in 2021 it claimed 2.5 million lives, 370 000 fewer than in 2000.
Half of all child deaths are caused by malnutrition
Malnutrition is the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Every year, up to two million children lose their lives to acute malnutrition. That's one child every 15 seconds. Even those who survive face lifelong consequences.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old. It can happen in seconds and is often silent.
Since 1990, the global under-5 mortality rate has dropped by 59%, from 93 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 36 in 2020. This is equivalent to 1 in 11 children dying before reaching age 5 in 1990 compared to 1 in 27 in 2019.
Eight children died in the 9/11 attacks, all as passengers on the hijacked planes (American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines Flight 175), with the youngest being 2-year-old Christine Lee Hanson. These children were among the nearly 3,000 total victims and were on family trips when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, making them the youngest victims of the day, as the youngest adult victim was 17.
Why is under-five mortality important?
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
Taken together, heart diseases and cancers are the cause of every second death. In red are infectious diseases, which are responsible for around 1-in-7 deaths. These include pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. A smaller share – around 4% – was from neonatal and maternal deaths.
Dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) is now Australia's leading cause of death overall, closely followed by ischaemic heart disease, with the gap narrowing as the population ages; however, coronary heart disease remains the top killer for males, while dementia leads for females. Other major causes include cerebrovascular disease (stroke), lung cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases (COPD).
Leading causes of deaths among adolescents ages 15–19 years:
Having a baby in Australia is generally very safe. However, complications can sometimes arise that may affect you, your baby, or both. Your chance of complications may be higher if you have certain pre-existing health conditions or pregnancy complications.
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of accident-related deaths in teenagers. Motor vehicle accidents make up over 50% of all accident-related deaths in adolescents, making it the leading cause overall.
Of great importance to public and child health are the vaccines against the so-called six killer diseases of childhood-measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis.
The most common causes of vomiting and diarrhea are viruses that easily spread from person to person. These viruses cause an infection called gastroenteritis. The best way to prevent spreading the infection is to: wash your hands often.