Cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa
South Africa: Cancer death rates in children under 10 years old was 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
1.8 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 26.0%
World rank
76th
of 110 countries
All-time high
2.59 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2018
All-time low
1.56 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2003
Years of data
25
1996–2020
Cancer death rates in children under 10 years old 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
The most recent figure for cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa is 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 26.0% on the previous year and down 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa peaked at 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2003.
That places South Africa 76th out of 110 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.75 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1997 | 1.78 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 1.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1999 | 2.22 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.1% |
| 2000 | 1.71 deaths per 100,000 people | -22.9% |
| 2001 | 1.79 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 2.09 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.5% |
| 2004 | 2.38 deaths per 100,000 people | +52.8% |
| 2005 | 2.41 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.0% |
| 2007 | 1.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.1% |
| 2008 | 1.75 deaths per 100,000 people | +8.8% |
| 2009 | 2.49 deaths per 100,000 people | +42.5% |
| 2010 | 2.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.3% |
| 2011 | 1.91 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.7% |
| 2012 | 1.9 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 2.42 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.3% |
| 2015 | 2.19 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.7% |
| 2016 | 2.33 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 2.31 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people | +12.2% |
| 2019 | 2.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people | -26.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.92 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.75 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.22 deaths per 100,000 people | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.96 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.49 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.22 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.9 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people | 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 73 Singapore 1.98 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 74 Switzerland 1.87 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 75 Czechia 1.83 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 77 Netherlands 1.78 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 78 Korea 1.74 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 79 France 1.64 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa?
- Cancer death rates in children under 10 years old in South Africa was 1.8 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 rates in children under 10 years old recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018.
- What is the lowest cancer death rates in children under 10 years old recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 deaths per 100,000 people in 2003.
- How does South Africa rank for cancer death rates in children under 10 years old?
- South Africa ranks 76th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is cancer death rates in children under 10 years old rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 rates in children under 10 years old. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from malignant neoplasms per 100,000 people in both sexes aged 10-14 years.