Birth rate vs death rate in South Africa
South Africa: Birth rate vs death rate was 18.77 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
18.77
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
84th
of 229 countries
All-time high
41.12
in 1952
All-time low
18.77
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate vs death rate in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate vs death rate in South Africa stood at 18.77. 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 in 1952 and was at its lowest, 18.77, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 84th of 229 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
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.96 | — |
| 1951 | 41.09 | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 41.12 | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 41.08 | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 40.94 | -0.3% |
| 1955 | 40.83 | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 40.64 | -0.5% |
| 1957 | 40.48 | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 40.36 | -0.3% |
| 1959 | 40.01 | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 39.82 | -0.5% |
| 1961 | 39.74 | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 39.67 | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 39.69 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 39.6 | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 39.49 | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 39.96 | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 39.93 | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 39.81 | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 39.71 | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 39.38 | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 39.25 | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 38.85 | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 38.39 | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 37.67 | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 37.01 | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 36.33 | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 35.57 | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 35.08 | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 34.94 | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 34.66 | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 34.59 | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 34.8 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 34.63 | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 34.53 | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 34.25 | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 33.6 | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 33.2 | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 31.98 | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 30.58 | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 28.73 | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 28.07 | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 27.02 | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 26.61 | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 24.58 | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 25.61 | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 24.86 | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 23.91 | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 23.15 | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 22.7 | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 21.57 | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 21.27 | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 20.93 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 21.39 | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 22.14 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 22.72 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 23.14 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 23.09 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 24.33 | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 22.78 | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 22.18 | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 22.07 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 22.12 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 21.89 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 21.78 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.01 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 20.27 | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 20.04 | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 19.85 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 19.69 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 19.52 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 19.35 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 19.08 | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 18.77 | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 40.75 | 40.01 | 41.12 | 10 |
| 1960s | 39.74 | 39.49 | 39.96 | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.25 | 34.94 | 39.38 | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.68 | 30.58 | 34.8 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.52 | 22.7 | 28.73 | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.33 | 20.93 | 24.33 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.09 | 19.69 | 22.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.18 | 18.77 | 19.52 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,152 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3306 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6739 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate vs death rate in South Africa?
- Birth rate vs death rate in South Africa was 18.77 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate vs death rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 41.12 in 1952.
- What is the lowest birth rate vs death rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.77 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for birth rate vs death rate?
- South Africa ranks 84th out of 229 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).