Infant mortality rates in Costa Rica dropped slightly in the first half of 2021, according to analysis from the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC).
During the first semester of 2021, 8.09 deaths were registered for every 1,000 live births, a decrease from the 8.81 deaths for every 1,000 live births registered in 2020.
“The infant mortality rate has a value of 8.09, which means that approximately eight children died before reaching one year of age per 1,000 births during the first half of 2021,” INEC said.
The highest rate of infant mortality is in the province of Cartago (9.89 for every 1,000 live births), while the lowest is in the province of Heredia, north of San José (7.07 for every 1,000 live births).
Deaths most-frequently occurred due to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, which comprised 36% of mortal events.
In terms of gender, infant mortality rates remain higher for boys (9.06) than girls (7.09).
Costa Rica has one of the best infant mortality rates in Latin America, including the lowest in Central America, according to the World Bank.
The global infant mortality rate is about 28 deaths per 1,000 live births.
