The rate of decline in under-five mortality increased for the period 2000-2008 compared with the 1990s (the average annual rate of decline for 2000-2008 is 2.3% compared with 1.4% for 1990-2000).

However, the rate of decline in under-five mortality is still grossly insufficient to reach the MDG goal by 2015, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Among the 67 countries with high mortality rates (40 per 1,000 or more), only ten are on track to meet MDG 4.

In addition, under-five mortality is increasingly concentrated. Half of the deaths occurred in only five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, and China.

Source: UNICEF estimates based on the work of the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Reference: http://www.childinfo.org/mortality.html