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All information courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.

All information courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.

Currently, the world's highest infant mortality rates exist in [[Angola]], [[Sierra Leone]], and [[Afghanistan]], while the lowest rate is in the nation of [[Singapore]]. The rate within the [[United States]] currently stands at or around 6.3 deaths per 1,000 births, placing it at 46th on the list, behind [[Guam]] but ahead of the [[Faroe Islands]].  The American mortality rate is greatly augmented by illegal immigration, and studies which have accounted for this effect expect that the United States would top the list were illegal immigration taken out of the picture.

Currently, the world's highest infant mortality rates exist in [[Angola]], [[Sierra Leone]], and [[Afghanistan]], while the lowest rate is in the nation of [[Singapore]]. The rate within the [[United States]] currently stands at or around 6.3 deaths per 1,000 births, placing it at 46th on the list, behind [[Guam]] but ahead of the [[Faroe Islands]].  The American mortality rate is inflated by three significant factors; firstly the US measures all infants that show any sings of life as live births, versus waiting 5 minutes or 1 hour before considering a birth live, secondly illegal immigrants have much higher rates of infant mortality and their inclusion in the numbers raises them significantly, thirdly religious opposition to [[abortion]] means that more high risk pregnancies are carried to term. Without these compounding factors the US would be near the top of the list.