Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa

South Africa: Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 was 16.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
16.5%
Change on year
down 12.7%
World rank
68th
of 185 countries
All-time high
21.4%
in 2019
All-time low
13.4%
in 2010
Years of data
6
2000–2021

Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa, 2000–2021

051015202000201020212000: 15 % of total deaths ages 15-592010: 13.4 % of total deaths ages 15-592015: 19.5 % of total deaths ages 15-592019: 21.4 % of total deaths ages 15-592020: 18.9 % of total deaths ages 15-592021: 16.5 % of total deaths ages 15-59

Source: Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of total deaths ages 15-59.

Analysis

In 2021, cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa stood at 16.5%.

That represents a change of down 12.7% on the previous year and up 22.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa peaked at 21.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 68th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 (% of total deaths ages 15-59) in South Africa, 2000 to 2021.
Year % of total deaths ages 15-59 Change
2000 15.0%
2010 13.4% -10.5%
2015 19.5% +45.3%
2019 21.4% +9.5%
2020 18.9% -11.6%
2021 16.5% -12.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 16.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.8%, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 16.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.1%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.0% 15.0% 15.0% 1
2010s 18.1% 13.4% 21.4% 3
2020s 17.7% 16.5% 18.9% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 65 Sudan 16.7% compare
  2. 66 United States 16.6% compare
  3. 67 Mali 16.5% compare
  4. 69 Guinea 16.4% compare
  5. 70 Benin 16.0% compare
  6. 71 Eritrea 16.0% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa?
Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa was 16.5% in 2021, according to Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 2019.
What is the lowest cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59?
South Africa ranks 68th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
Is cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 (% of total deaths ages 15-59). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/cause-of-death-by-injury-ages-15-59-percent-of-total-deaths-ages-15-59/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Cause of death, by injury, ages 15-59 (% of total deaths ages 15-59)
Unit
% of total deaths ages 15-59
Source
Global Health Estimates, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
232 places, 1,392 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

Number of deaths ages 15-59 due to injury divided by number of all deaths ages 15-59, expressed by percentage. Injury includes unintentional and intentional injuries.