in-cyprus 19 July 2019 -Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou
The infant mortality rate in Cyprus in 2017 was the lowest in the EU 28, according to figures published by Eurostat on Friday.
It said that in the EU 28 in 2017, around 18,200 children died before reaching one year of age; this was equivalent to an infant mortality rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.
In 2017, the highest infant mortality rates in the EU were registered in Malta and Romania (both 6.7 deaths per 1000 live births) and Bulgaria (6.4 deaths), and the lowest in Cyprus (1.3 deaths) and Finland (2.0 deaths).
During the 10 years from 2007 to 2017, the infant mortality rate in the EU fell from 4.4 deaths per 1000 live births to 3.6 deaths per 1000 live births, it added. In Cyprus it dropped from 3.7 in 2007 to 1.3 in 2017.
Extending the analysis to the last 20 years, the infant mortality rate was almost halved (6.8 deaths per 1000 in 1997), Eurostat added.
For more information, see the Statistics Explained article: Mortality and life expectancy statistics.
