Adolescent fertility rate in South Africa
South Africa: Adolescent fertility rate was 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
68th
of 218 countries
All-time high
99.81 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19
in 1984
All-time low
46.47 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19
in 2007
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Adolescent fertility rate in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 for adolescent fertility rate in 2024.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 26.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adolescent fertility rate in South Africa peaked at 99.81 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 1984 and was at its lowest, 46.47 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, in 2007.
South Africa ranks 68th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Adolescent fertility rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 76.39 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | — |
| 1961 | 77.07 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 77.58 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 78.08 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 78.53 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 79.16 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 82.28 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +3.9% |
| 1967 | 84.14 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 85.36 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 86.62 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 83.98 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 87.28 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +3.9% |
| 1972 | 90.39 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 89.69 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 88.37 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 87.21 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 89.32 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 91.03 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 93.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 91.34 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 89.31 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 97.45 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +9.1% |
| 1982 | 98.36 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 98.85 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 99.81 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 91.65 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -8.2% |
| 1986 | 91.92 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 95.48 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 94.97 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 95.14 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 94.76 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 91.67 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 88.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 87.27 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 84.26 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 82.28 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 78.46 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 73.94 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 72.03 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 70.96 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 67.42 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 62.89 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 60.08 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 59.77 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 57.22 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 47.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -16.4% |
| 2006 | 48.9 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 46.47 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 55.68 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +19.8% |
| 2009 | 57.12 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 53.57 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 57.22 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 59.67 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 64.62 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 70.22 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +8.7% |
| 2015 | 67.98 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 61.61 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -9.4% |
| 2017 | 56 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -9.1% |
| 2018 | 51.42 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -8.2% |
| 2019 | 53.27 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 51.61 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 52.55 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 51.71 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 51.56 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.79 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, 1.9× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.55 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.52 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 76.39 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 86.62 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 1970s | 89.2 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 83.98 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 93.4 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 1980s | 95.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 89.31 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 99.81 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 1990s | 82.39 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 70.96 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 94.76 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.34 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 46.47 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 67.42 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.56 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 51.42 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 70.22 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.85 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 51.56 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 52.55 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 65 El Salvador 53.45 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
- 66 Botswana 53.45 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
- 67 Burundi 52.49 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
- 69 Dominican Republic 50.16 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
- 70 Solomon Islands 49.39 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
- 71 Haiti 49.26 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 compare
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adolescent fertility rate in South Africa?
- Adolescent fertility rate in South Africa was 51.84 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest adolescent fertility rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 99.81 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 1984.
- What is the lowest adolescent fertility rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.47 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 in 2007.
- How does South Africa rank for adolescent fertility rate?
- South Africa ranks 68th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adolescent fertility rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.