BCPB Home > Benchmarks > Rankings > Performance Indicator 20: Infant Mortality

Performance Indicator 20: Infant Mortality

Where BC Ranks, Provincial Comparison

 (Updated May 21, 2008)
Year

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Rank

4

3

1

1

3

1

5

2

1

4

Performance Indicator Twenty is based on the number of infants who die in the first year of life. A lower mortality rate gives a better rank.

British Columbia ranked fourth for the infant mortality rate in 2005.

Infant mortality rates are volatile as seen in the provincial comparison figure. Although BC ranked fourth in 2005 it was first in 2004 and fifth in 2002. BC has the third-lowest and lowest average infant mortality rates among the provinces for the most recent five and ten year periods, respectively. British Columbia's average rate for 2001 through 2005 was 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, behind Prince Edward Island's 4.0 and ahead of last place Manitoba at 7.1.

Why It's Important
This indicator is a long-established measure, not only of child health, but also of the well-being of a society. It reflects the level of mortality, health status, and health care of a population, and the effectiveness of preventive care and the attention paid to maternal and child health.





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