China vs South Africa: Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio
China
296,692 one-year-olds
in 2023
South Africa
251,724 one-year-olds
in 2023
China rank
18th
South Africa rank
21st
Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 296,692 one-year-olds against 251,724 one-year-olds in South Africa, a difference of 44,968 one-year-olds.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1983 it was China ahead.
China ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 194 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.58 million one-year-olds | 286,244 one-year-olds | 3.29 million one-year-olds | China |
| 1990s | 2.23 million one-year-olds | 270,599 one-year-olds | 1.96 million one-year-olds | China |
| 2000s | 1.55 million one-year-olds | 264,523 one-year-olds | 1.28 million one-year-olds | China |
| 2010s | 178,709 one-year-olds | 230,192 one-year-olds | 51,483 one-year-olds | South Africa |
| 2020s | 171,877 one-year-olds | 195,522 one-year-olds | 23,645 one-year-olds | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio, China or South Africa?
- China, at 296,692 one-year-olds against 251,724 one-year-olds in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio between China and South Africa?
- 44,968 one-year-olds, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 2023.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio?
- China ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of one-year-olds who have not had the third dose of either the oral or inactivated polio vaccine in a given year.