Cancer death rate by age group in South Africa
South Africa: Cancer death rate by age group was 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
1.95 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 28.9%
World rank
52nd
of 111 countries
All-time high
3.86 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2011
All-time low
1.5 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2017
Years of data
25
1996–2020
Cancer death rate by age group in South Africa, 1996–2020
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people for cancer death rate by age group in 2020.
The figure is down 28.9% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cancer death rate by age group in South Africa peaked at 3.86 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2017.
South Africa ranks 52nd of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Cancer death rate by age group in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.86 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1997 | 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people | +38.7% |
| 1998 | 2.99 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.4% |
| 1999 | 2.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -21.2% |
| 2000 | 2.64 deaths per 100,000 people | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people | -27.3% |
| 2002 | 2.31 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.5% |
| 2003 | 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people | +21.0% |
| 2004 | 1.98 deaths per 100,000 people | -29.4% |
| 2005 | 2.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 1.79 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 2.55 deaths per 100,000 people | +42.5% |
| 2008 | 1.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -38.5% |
| 2009 | 2.14 deaths per 100,000 people | +36.4% |
| 2010 | 1.94 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.7% |
| 2011 | 3.86 deaths per 100,000 people | +99.1% |
| 2012 | 2.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -41.1% |
| 2013 | 2.21 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.89 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.4% |
| 2015 | 2.35 deaths per 100,000 people | +24.0% |
| 2016 | 2.54 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.1% |
| 2017 | 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people | -41.1% |
| 2018 | 2.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +65.4% |
| 2019 | 2.75 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.0% |
| 2020 | 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people | -28.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.45 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.86 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.99 deaths per 100,000 people | 4 |
| 2000s | 2.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.57 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.38 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.86 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 49 Paraguay 2.1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 50 Kuwait 2.03 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 51 Canada 1.99 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 53 Slovakia 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 54 Poland 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 55 Turkmenistan 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people 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)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 22 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 314 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2,778 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cancer death rate by age group in South Africa?
- Cancer death rate by age group in South Africa was 1.95 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cancer death rate by age group recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.86 deaths per 100,000 people in 2011.
- What is the lowest cancer death rate by age group recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for cancer death rate by age group?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is cancer death rate by age group rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cancer death rate by age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Reported deaths from malignant neoplasms per 100,000 people in both sexes aged less than 1 year.