Globally, the mortality rate for children under five has declined by 35 per cent, from 88 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 57 in 2010.
Despite population growth, the number of deaths in children under five worldwide declined from 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010.
The rate of decline in under five mortality has accelerated-from 1.9% a year over 1990-2000 to 2.5% a year over 2000-2010.
The highest levels of under-five mortality continue to be found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 in 8 children die before the age of five.
Under-five deaths are increasingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while the share of the rest of the world dropped from 31% in 1990 to 18% in 2010.
The proportion of under-five deaths that occur within the first month of life (the neonatal period) has increased to more than 40%.