Malaria Mortality Rate
Number of deaths caused by malaria per 100,000 population per year.
Quick Reference
Unit
per 100,000 people
Category
Health
Metric Code
malaria_mortality
How It's Calculated
Estimated deaths from malaria divided by total population, multiplied by 100,000. Based on national health information systems, verbal autopsy studies, and WHO malaria modeling. Includes deaths from Plasmodium falciparum (most deadly) and other malaria species. Case fatality depends on parasite species, treatment access, and host immunity.
Why It Matters
Malaria kills over 600,000 people annually, mostly children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. It is both preventable (bed nets, indoor spraying) and treatable (artemisinin-based therapies), making deaths a failure of health systems and resource allocation. Malaria mortality is declining globally but progress has stalled since 2015. It is SDG Indicator 3.3.3.
Understanding the Values
Very Low: < 1 per 100,000 (near elimination - most of world) Low: 1-5 (low burden - sporadic cases) Moderate: 5-20 (moderate burden - endemic areas) High: 20-50 (high burden - sub-Saharan Africa) Very High: > 50 (severe burden - Nigeria 110, Niger 108) WHO target: Reduce mortality rate by 90% by 2030 (vs 2015 baseline) Global deaths: ~619,000 (2021), 96% in Africa 67% of deaths: children under 5
Related Metrics
Under-5 Mortality Rate
Probability of dying between birth and age 5, expressed per 1,000 live births.
Tuberculosis Incidence Rate
Estimated number of new tuberculosis cases per 100,000 population per year.
HIV Prevalence
Number of people living with HIV infection.
Child Malnutrition (Underweight)
Percentage of children under 5 who are moderately or severely underweight for their age.
Data Quality & Coverage
Coverage: 85 malaria-endemic countries Update frequency: Annual Source: UN Data / WHO World Malaria Report Limitations: Many malaria deaths misclassified as other fevers or attributed to underlying conditions (malnutrition). Household verbal autopsy estimates have uncertainty. Does not capture disability (severe malaria causes neurological damage). Artemisinin resistance emerging in Southeast Asia threatens treatment efficacy.