Long-term trends

All OECD countries have seen remarkable progress in reducing infant mortality rates from the levels of 1970, when the average was approaching 30 deaths per 1 000 live births. The average in 2004 stood at less than 6 deaths per 1 000 live births, which equates to an average reduction of over 75%. Portugal has seen its infant mortality rate reduced by over 90% since 1970, going from the country with the highest rate in Europe to one with an infant mortality rate among the lowest in the OECD in 2004. Large reductions in infant mortality rates are also seen in some of the other southern European countries, such as Italy, Spain and Greece.

Around two-thirds of the deaths that occur during the first year of life are neonatal deaths (i.e. during the first four weeks). Congenital malformations, low birth weight of pre-term infants and other conditions arising during pregnancy are the principal factors contributing to neonatal mortality in OECD countries. With an increasing number of women deferring childbearing and the rise in multiple births linked with fertility treatments, the number of pre-term births has tended to increase. For some countries with historically low infant mortality rates, such as the Nordic countries and Western Europe, this has contributed to a leveling-off or reversal of the downward trend in infant mortality rates over the past few years. For deaths beyond a month (post neonatal mortality), there tends to be a greater range of causes – the most common being birth defects, SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), infections and accidents.