Infant mortality in Singapore 1930-2020
In 1930, the infant mortality rate in Singapore was estimated to be 212 deaths per thousand live births, meaning that over 21% of all babies born in that year would not survive past their first birthday. The invasion and subsequent occupation of the island by the Empire of Japan in the Second World War had a significant impact on infant mortality in Singapore, raising mortality rates from 152 in 1940, to over 230 by 1945. Following the end of the Second World War and the removal of Japanese occupation from the island, however, infant mortality would rapidly decline throughout the remainder of the 20th century, as rapid modernization and an influx of overseas investment would result in significant improvements to living standards and healthcare. As a result, infant mortality would fall to just four deaths per thousand births by the turn of the century, and as infant mortality has continued to decline, it is estimated in 2020 that for every thousand children born in Singapore, 99.8% will make it past their first birthday,