Share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa
South Africa: Share of births attended by skilled health staff was 96.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa, 1994–2016
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 96.7% for share of births attended by skilled health staff in 2016. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa peaked at 96.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 82.0%, in 1994.
That places South Africa 98th out of 169 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 82.0% | — |
| 1995 | 82.0% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 84.4% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 91.2% | +8.1% |
| 2004 | 91.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 94.3% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 96.7% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 82.8% | 82.0% | 84.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 92.2% | 91.2% | 94.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 96.7% | 96.7% | 96.7% | 1 |
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)
- 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)
- Population ages 15-19, male, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.0422 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate 0.5965 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per capita 0.0391 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa?
- Share of births attended by skilled health staff in South Africa was 96.7% in 2016, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 96.7% in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.0% in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank for share of births attended by skilled health staff?
- South Africa ranks 98th out of 169 countries with data for 2016.
- Is share of births attended by skilled health staff rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births attended by skilled health staff. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Skilled health staff refers to professionals trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.