Cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa
South Africa: Cervical cancer death rate in women was 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
13.58 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 7.5%
World rank
4th
of 111 countries
All-time high
16.16 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2016
All-time low
13.58 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2020
Years of data
25
1996–2020
Cervical cancer death rate in women 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
In 2020, cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa stood at 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa peaked at 16.16 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 4th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 13.82 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1997 | 13.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 13.74 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 14.03 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 14.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 14.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 14.29 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 15.05 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 14.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 15.26 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 14.95 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 13.91 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 13.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 14.86 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 14.58 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 14.82 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 14.75 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 14.25 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 15.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 15.74 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 16.16 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 16.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 15.85 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 14.68 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.83 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.72 deaths per 100,000 people | 14.03 deaths per 100,000 people | 4 |
| 2000s | 14.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.91 deaths per 100,000 people | 15.26 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.22 deaths per 100,000 people | 14.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 16.16 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 1 Fiji 21.47 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 2 Seychelles 20.68 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 3 Belize 17.26 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 5 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.41 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 6 Grenada 13.08 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 7 Suriname 13.03 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)
- 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 cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa?
- Cervical cancer death rate in women in South Africa was 13.58 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 cervical cancer death rate in women recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.16 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016.
- What is the lowest cervical cancer death rate in women recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.58 deaths per 100,000 people in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for cervical cancer death rate in women?
- South Africa ranks 4th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is cervical cancer death rate in women rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. 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 Cervical cancer death rate in women. 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 cervix uteri cancer in females in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.