(Our World Data) – This chart shows death rates across the first year of a baby’s life and how they have been reduced over time. The data spans 1921 to 2021 and comes from the Office for National Statistics in England & Wales. On the left-hand side of the chart, you can see that death rates are much higher on the first day of life. They then drop sharply over the following days and continue declining gradually over the rest of the year.

But you can also see that over decades, the entire curve has shifted downwards. This means that every day of infancy is safer than in the past. (Read More)