Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) vs South Africa: Preterm birth rate

Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region)
10.85
in 2020
South Africa
12.96
in 2020
Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) rank
3rd
South Africa rank
6th

Preterm birth rate over time

  • Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region)
  • South Africa
051015201020152020

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 12.96 against 10.85 in Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region), a difference of 2.11.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region)'s.

Across all 11 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 6th of 17 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 10.71 12.94 2.23 South Africa
2020s 10.85 12.96 2.11 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher preterm birth rate, Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) or South Africa?
South Africa, at 12.96 against 10.85 in Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) as of 2020.
What is the difference in preterm birth rate between Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) and South Africa?
2.11, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) and South Africa?
11 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2020.
How do Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) and South Africa rank globally for preterm birth rate?
Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 6th of 17 groups.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) vs South Africa: Preterm birth rate. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/preterm-birth-rate-per-100-live-births-2/eastern-mediterranean-who-region/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/preterm-birth-rate-per-100-live-births-2/eastern-mediterranean-who-region/south-africa/">Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) vs South Africa: Preterm birth rate</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
120 places, 1,320 data points, 2010–2020
Last refreshed