Indonesia's Infant Mortality Rate Has Significantly Decreased Since 1971

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reports that Indonesia has made significant progress in reducing infant mortality rates.

The long-form results of the 2020 Population Census show that Indonesia's infant mortality rate was 16.85 per 1,000 live births. The BPS states that this figure represents a significant decrease from the 2010 Population Census result of 26 deaths per 1,000 live births.

"In fact, over a decade, or between 2010 and 2020, Indonesia's infant mortality rate decreased by 35%," wrote the BPS in its report, *Mortality in Indonesia: Results from the 2020 Population Census Long Form*, on Friday (2/2/2024).

This figure also shows a significant decrease of 90% over 50 years, from 1971 to 2020. In 1971, the infant mortality rate was as high as 145 per 1,000 live births.

The BPS explains that reducing infant mortality is one of the national priority programs in the health sector. This is an indicator of the fulfillment of basic services in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024.

The target for reducing infant mortality in 2024 is 16 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

The BPS adds that the government also has a target within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce the rate to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.

"Continuous monitoring and evaluation are still needed to ensure the sustainability of the decline in infant mortality and to identify and address new challenges that may arise," wrote the BPS.

(Also read: [This is a list of causes of infant mortality in Indonesia in 2022](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2024/02/05/ini-sederet-penyebab-kematian-balita-di-indonesia-pada-2022))