South Africa vs Upper middle income: Stillbirth rate

South Africa
18.7 per 1,000 total births
in 2023
Upper middle income
6.9 per 1,000 total births
in 2023
South Africa rank
30th
Upper middle income rank
31st

Stillbirth rate over time

  • South Africa
  • Upper middle income
5101520200020112023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 18.7 per 1,000 total births against 6.9 per 1,000 total births in Upper middle income, a difference of 11.8 per 1,000 total births.

That makes South Africa's figure about 2.7 times Upper middle income's.

Across all 24 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 30th and Upper middle income ranks 31st of 197 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Upper middle income Difference Ahead
2000s 19.11 per 1,000 total births 12.08 per 1,000 total births 7.03 per 1,000 total births South Africa
2010s 16.93 per 1,000 total births 8.3 per 1,000 total births 8.63 per 1,000 total births South Africa
2020s 18.32 per 1,000 total births 7 per 1,000 total births 11.32 per 1,000 total births South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher stillbirth rate, South Africa or Upper middle income?
South Africa, at 18.7 per 1,000 total births against 6.9 per 1,000 total births in Upper middle income as of 2023.
What is the difference in stillbirth rate between South Africa and Upper middle income?
11.8 per 1,000 total births, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Upper middle income?
24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Upper middle income rank globally for stillbirth rate?
South Africa ranks 30th and Upper middle income ranks 31st of 197 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org, published as Stillbirth rate (per 1,000 total births). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Upper middle income: Stillbirth rate. Statizoid, drawing on Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/stillbirth-rate-per-1-000-total-births/south-africa/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Stillbirth rate (per 1,000 total births)
Unit
per 1,000 total births
Source
Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
240 places, 5,760 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

Stillbirth rate is the number of fetal deaths at 28 weeks or more of gestation per 1,000 total births. Total birth is the sum of stillbirths (as just defined) and live births.