3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa

South Africa: 3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel was 97 in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
97
World rank
92nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
97
in 2016
All-time low
82
in 1994
Years of data
5
1994–2016

3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa, 1994–2016

0204060801001994200520161994: 821998: 84.42004: 91.22008: 94.32016: 97

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2016, 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa stood at 97. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa peaked at 97 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 82, in 1994.

South Africa ranks 92nd of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for 3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (%) in South Africa, 1994 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1994 82
1998 84.4 +2.9%
2004 91.2 +8.1%
2008 94.3 +3.4%
2016 97 +2.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 97 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 100, 97% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 97 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 78, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 83.2 82 84.4 2
2000s 92.75 91.2 94.3 2
2010s 97 97 97 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 92 Cape Verde 97 compare
  2. 92 Iceland 97 compare
  3. 92 Mexico 97 compare
  4. 92 Palau 97 compare
  5. 92 Sao Tome and Principe 97 compare
  6. 92 Turkey 97 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa?
3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa was 97 in 2016, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 97 in 2016.
What is the lowest 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 82 in 1994.
How does South Africa rank for 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel?
South Africa ranks 92nd out of 166 countries with data for 2016.
Is 3.1.2 proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of 3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/3-1-2-proportion-of-births-attended-by-skilled-health-personnel-percent/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 UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/3-1-2-proportion-of-births-attended-by-skilled-health-personnel-percent/south-africa/">3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
3.1.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (%)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
166 places, 2,686 data points, 1980–2020
Last refreshed