Ethiopia vs South Africa: Number of deaths

Ethiopia
674,922 deaths
in 2021
South Africa
721,336 deaths
in 2021
Ethiopia rank
21st
South Africa rank
18th

Number of deaths over time

  • Ethiopia
  • South Africa
0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M200020102021

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 721,336 deaths against 674,922 deaths in Ethiopia, a difference of 46,414 deaths.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Ethiopia ahead.

Ethiopia ranks 21st and South Africa ranks 18th of 194 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 828,069 deaths 661,966 deaths 166,104 deaths Ethiopia
2010s 615,826 deaths 556,184 deaths 59,642 deaths Ethiopia
2020s 647,894 deaths 657,903 deaths 10,010 deaths South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher number of deaths, Ethiopia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 721,336 deaths against 674,922 deaths in Ethiopia as of 2021.
What is the difference in number of deaths between Ethiopia and South Africa?
46,414 deaths, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for number of deaths?
Ethiopia ranks 21st and South Africa ranks 18th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of deaths. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ethiopia vs South Africa: Number of deaths. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-deaths-who/ethiopia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of deaths
Unit
deaths
Source
World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,268 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

Estimated number of deaths from all causes in both sexes.