Child mortality rate vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Child mortality rate vs. GDP per capita was 3.51 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.51 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
53rd
of 200 countries
All-time high
13.23 deaths per 100 live births
in 1974
All-time low
3.39 deaths per 100 live births
in 2020
Years of data
51
1974–2024
Child mortality rate vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1974–2024
Source: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 3.51 deaths per 100 live births for child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 13.23 deaths per 100 live births in 1974 and was at its lowest, 3.39 deaths per 100 live births, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 53rd of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Child mortality rate vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 13.23 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1975 | 12.49 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 11.78 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1977 | 11.11 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1978 | 10.47 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 9.88 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 9.35 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 8.85 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 8.38 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1983 | 7.96 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 7.59 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1985 | 7.23 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1986 | 6.89 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 6.57 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1988 | 6.27 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1989 | 6.01 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 5.81 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 5.68 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 5.62 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 5.66 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 5.78 deaths per 100 live births | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 5.92 deaths per 100 live births | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 6.09 deaths per 100 live births | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 6.29 deaths per 100 live births | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 6.58 deaths per 100 live births | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 6.87 deaths per 100 live births | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 7.14 deaths per 100 live births | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 7.45 deaths per 100 live births | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 7.7 deaths per 100 live births | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 7.92 deaths per 100 live births | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 8.07 deaths per 100 live births | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 7.98 deaths per 100 live births | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 7.69 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 7.12 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 2008 | 6.37 deaths per 100 live births | -10.5% |
| 2009 | 5.69 deaths per 100 live births | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 4.56 deaths per 100 live births | -9.3% |
| 2012 | 4.31 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.14 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 3.97 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 3.82 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 3.68 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 3.57 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 3.49 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.43 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.39 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 3.4 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.43 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 3.48 deaths per 100 live births | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 3.51 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.49 deaths per 100 live births | 9.88 deaths per 100 live births | 13.23 deaths per 100 live births | 6 |
| 1980s | 7.51 deaths per 100 live births | 6.01 deaths per 100 live births | 9.35 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.03 deaths per 100 live births | 5.62 deaths per 100 live births | 6.87 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.31 deaths per 100 live births | 5.69 deaths per 100 live births | 8.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 4 deaths per 100 live births | 3.43 deaths per 100 live births | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.44 deaths per 100 live births | 3.39 deaths per 100 live births | 3.51 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 50 Senegal 3.65 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 51 Ghana 3.59 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 52 Dominica 3.57 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 54 Eritrea 3.43 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 55 Botswana 3.33 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 56 Gabon 3.26 deaths per 100 live births 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 child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 3.51 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.23 deaths per 100 live births in 1974.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.39 deaths per 100 live births in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 53rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.