What is birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa?

Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa was 18.77 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 41.12 births per 1,000 people in 1952.

What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 18.77 births per 1,000 people in 2023.

How does South Africa rank for birth rate vs. death rate?

South Africa ranks 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this South Africa data come from?

The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa

Name: Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Africa: Birth rate vs. death rate was 18.77 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

18.77 births per 1,000 people

Change on year

down 1.6%

World rank

86th

of 236 countries

All-time high

41.12 births per 1,000 people

in 1952

All-time low

18.77 births per 1,000 people

in 2023

Years of data

1950–2023

Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa, 1950–2023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.

Analysis

In 2023, birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa stood at 18.77 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa peaked at 41.12 births per 1,000 people in 1952 and was at its lowest, 18.77 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.

South Africa ranks 86th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa, 1950 to 2023.
Year	births per 1,000 people	Change
1950	40.96 births per 1,000 people	—
1951	41.09 births per 1,000 people	+0.3%
1952	41.12 births per 1,000 people	+0.1%
1953	41.08 births per 1,000 people	-0.1%
1954	40.94 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1955	40.83 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1956	40.64 births per 1,000 people	-0.5%
1957	40.48 births per 1,000 people	-0.4%
1958	40.36 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1959	40.01 births per 1,000 people	-0.9%
1960	39.82 births per 1,000 people	-0.5%
1961	39.74 births per 1,000 people	-0.2%
1962	39.67 births per 1,000 people	-0.2%
1963	39.69 births per 1,000 people	+0.0%
1964	39.6 births per 1,000 people	-0.2%
1965	39.49 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1966	39.96 births per 1,000 people	+1.2%
1967	39.93 births per 1,000 people	-0.1%
1968	39.81 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1969	39.71 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1970	39.38 births per 1,000 people	-0.8%
1971	39.25 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1972	38.85 births per 1,000 people	-1.0%
1973	38.39 births per 1,000 people	-1.2%
1974	37.67 births per 1,000 people	-1.9%
1975	37.01 births per 1,000 people	-1.7%
1976	36.33 births per 1,000 people	-1.8%
1977	35.57 births per 1,000 people	-2.1%
1978	35.08 births per 1,000 people	-1.4%
1979	34.94 births per 1,000 people	-0.4%
1980	34.66 births per 1,000 people	-0.8%
1981	34.59 births per 1,000 people	-0.2%
1982	34.8 births per 1,000 people	+0.6%
1983	34.63 births per 1,000 people	-0.5%
1984	34.53 births per 1,000 people	-0.3%
1985	34.25 births per 1,000 people	-0.8%
1986	33.6 births per 1,000 people	-1.9%
1987	33.2 births per 1,000 people	-1.2%
1988	31.98 births per 1,000 people	-3.7%
1989	30.58 births per 1,000 people	-4.4%
1990	28.73 births per 1,000 people	-6.0%
1991	28.07 births per 1,000 people	-2.3%
1992	27.02 births per 1,000 people	-3.8%
1993	26.61 births per 1,000 people	-1.5%
1994	24.58 births per 1,000 people	-7.6%
1995	25.61 births per 1,000 people	+4.2%
1996	24.86 births per 1,000 people	-2.9%
1997	23.91 births per 1,000 people	-3.8%
1998	23.15 births per 1,000 people	-3.2%
1999	22.7 births per 1,000 people	-1.9%
2000	21.57 births per 1,000 people	-5.0%
2001	21.27 births per 1,000 people	-1.4%
2002	20.93 births per 1,000 people	-1.6%
2003	21.39 births per 1,000 people	+2.2%
2004	22.14 births per 1,000 people	+3.5%
2005	22.72 births per 1,000 people	+2.6%
2006	23.14 births per 1,000 people	+1.9%
2007	23.09 births per 1,000 people	-0.2%
2008	24.33 births per 1,000 people	+5.4%
2009	22.78 births per 1,000 people	-6.4%
2010	22.18 births per 1,000 people	-2.6%
2011	22.07 births per 1,000 people	-0.5%
2012	22.12 births per 1,000 people	+0.2%
2013	21.89 births per 1,000 people	-1.0%
2014	21.78 births per 1,000 people	-0.5%
2015	21.01 births per 1,000 people	-3.6%
2016	20.27 births per 1,000 people	-3.5%
2017	20.04 births per 1,000 people	-1.1%
2018	19.85 births per 1,000 people	-0.9%
2019	19.69 births per 1,000 people	-0.8%
2020	19.52 births per 1,000 people	-0.9%
2021	19.35 births per 1,000 people	-0.9%
2022	19.08 births per 1,000 people	-1.4%
2023	18.77 births per 1,000 people	-1.6%

South Africa compared with similar countries

South Africa's 18.77 births per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.97 births per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
South Africa's 18.77 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.17 births per 1,000 people, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	40.75 births per 1,000 people	40.01 births per 1,000 people	41.12 births per 1,000 people	10
1960s	39.74 births per 1,000 people	39.49 births per 1,000 people	39.96 births per 1,000 people	10
1970s	37.25 births per 1,000 people	34.94 births per 1,000 people	39.38 births per 1,000 people	10
1980s	33.68 births per 1,000 people	30.58 births per 1,000 people	34.8 births per 1,000 people	10
1990s	25.52 births per 1,000 people	22.7 births per 1,000 people	28.73 births per 1,000 people	10
2000s	22.33 births per 1,000 people	20.93 births per 1,000 people	24.33 births per 1,000 people	10
2010s	21.09 births per 1,000 people	19.69 births per 1,000 people	22.18 births per 1,000 people	10
2020s	19.18 births per 1,000 people	18.77 births per 1,000 people	19.52 births per 1,000 people	4

Countries ranked near South Africa

83 Nicaragua 19.38 births per 1,000 people compare
84 Nepal 19.34 births per 1,000 people compare
85 Mongolia 18.95 births per 1,000 people compare
87 Israel 18.62 births per 1,000 people compare
88 Belize 18.02 births per 1,000 people compare
89 Fiji 18 births per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

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)
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)
Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa?: Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa was 18.77 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 41.12 births per 1,000 people in 1952.
What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 18.77 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does South Africa rank for birth rate vs. death rate?: South Africa ranks 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?: The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Birth rate vs. death rate in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/birth-rate-vs-death-rate/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Birth rate vs. death rate
Unit: births per 1,000 people
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 30 October 2026

Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.