Births and deaths per year in South Africa
South Africa: Births and deaths per year was 584,018 deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
584,018 deaths
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
22nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
733,898 deaths
in 2021
All-time low
233,379 deaths
in 1960
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Births and deaths per year in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 584,018 deaths for births and deaths per year in 2023.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births and deaths per year in South Africa peaked at 733,898 deaths in 2021 and was at its lowest, 233,379 deaths, in 1960.
South Africa ranks 22nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Births and deaths per year in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 281,295 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 275,292 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1952 | 269,524 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1953 | 263,910 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1954 | 257,799 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1955 | 252,076 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1956 | 246,577 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1957 | 241,807 deaths | -1.9% |
| 1958 | 237,466 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 235,104 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 233,379 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1961 | 234,079 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 235,424 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 238,844 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 242,440 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 247,251 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 251,936 deaths | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 257,379 deaths | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 262,521 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 267,491 deaths | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 272,207 deaths | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 275,723 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 278,476 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 281,163 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 282,789 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 282,979 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 283,953 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 283,644 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 283,392 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 284,003 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 284,794 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 288,425 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 292,566 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 296,795 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 301,221 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 306,172 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 311,902 deaths | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 316,825 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 321,241 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 327,047 deaths | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 335,439 deaths | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 343,102 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 352,289 deaths | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 362,995 deaths | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 382,980 deaths | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 397,321 deaths | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 410,767 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 423,893 deaths | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 443,109 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 466,125 deaths | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 490,138 deaths | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 526,754 deaths | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 574,030 deaths | +9.0% |
| 2003 | 622,283 deaths | +8.4% |
| 2004 | 641,921 deaths | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 659,846 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 669,557 deaths | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 663,057 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 648,296 deaths | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 624,186 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 594,055 deaths | -4.8% |
| 2011 | 568,156 deaths | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 545,852 deaths | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 544,728 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 536,322 deaths | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 522,822 deaths | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 519,287 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 508,901 deaths | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 515,170 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 521,415 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 586,416 deaths | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 733,898 deaths | +25.1% |
| 2022 | 586,473 deaths | -20.1% |
| 2023 | 584,018 deaths | -0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 584,018 deaths is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43,965 deaths, 13.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 584,018 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 109,128 deaths, 5.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Births and deaths per year in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +25.1% | 586,416 deaths | 733,898 deaths |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 256,085 deaths | 235,104 deaths | 281,295 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 247,074 deaths | 233,379 deaths | 267,491 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 280,833 deaths | 272,207 deaths | 284,003 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 304,699 deaths | 284,794 deaths | 327,047 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 391,802 deaths | 335,439 deaths | 466,125 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 612,007 deaths | 490,138 deaths | 669,557 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 537,671 deaths | 508,901 deaths | 594,055 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 622,701 deaths | 584,018 deaths | 733,898 deaths | 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births and deaths per year in South Africa?
- Births and deaths per year in South Africa was 584,018 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest births and deaths per year recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 733,898 deaths in 2021.
- What is the lowest births and deaths per year recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 233,379 deaths in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for births and deaths per year?
- South Africa ranks 22nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is births and deaths per year rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Births and deaths per year. 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).
About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year.