Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa

South Africa: Child mortality rate ihme was 3.69 in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
3.69
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
50th
of 201 countries
All-time high
16.27
in 1950
All-time low
3.69
in 2019
Years of data
70
1950–2019

Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa, 1950–2019

51015195019842019

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2019, child mortality rate ihme in South Africa stood at 3.69. That is the lowest value across all 70 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and down 37.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, child mortality rate ihme in South Africa peaked at 16.27 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 3.69, in 2019.

South Africa ranks 50th of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 70 years of available data.

Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa, 1950 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1950 16.27
1951 16.1 -1.0%
1952 15.97 -0.8%
1953 15.7 -1.7%
1954 15.64 -0.4%
1955 15.53 -0.7%
1956 15.33 -1.3%
1957 15.17 -1.0%
1958 15.04 -0.9%
1959 14.9 -0.9%
1960 14.76 -0.9%
1961 14.58 -1.2%
1962 14.39 -1.3%
1963 14.19 -1.4%
1964 13.94 -1.8%
1965 13.72 -1.6%
1966 13.5 -1.6%
1967 13.26 -1.8%
1968 13.02 -1.8%
1969 12.76 -2.0%
1970 12.53 -1.8%
1971 12.33 -1.6%
1972 12.15 -1.5%
1973 11.96 -1.6%
1974 11.77 -1.6%
1975 11.58 -1.6%
1976 11.42 -1.4%
1977 11.27 -1.3%
1978 11.09 -1.6%
1979 10.89 -1.8%
1980 10.65 -2.2%
1981 10.41 -2.3%
1982 10.19 -2.1%
1983 9.94 -2.5%
1984 9.67 -2.7%
1985 9.41 -2.7%
1986 9.12 -3.1%
1987 8.8 -3.5%
1988 8.46 -3.9%
1989 8.13 -3.9%
1990 7.82 -3.8%
1991 7.56 -3.3%
1992 7.35 -2.8%
1993 7.17 -2.4%
1994 7.07 -1.4%
1995 7.05 -0.3%
1996 7.11 +0.9%
1997 7.22 +1.5%
1998 7.39 +2.4%
1999 7.5 +1.5%
2000 7.64 +1.9%
2001 7.74 +1.3%
2002 7.85 +1.4%
2003 7.9 +0.6%
2004 7.9 +0.0%
2005 7.79 -1.4%
2006 7.46 -4.2%
2007 7.09 -5.0%
2008 6.66 -6.1%
2009 5.92 -11.1%
2010 5.33 -10.0%
2011 5.06 -5.1%
2012 4.86 -4.0%
2013 4.69 -3.5%
2014 4.6 -1.9%
2015 4.33 -5.9%
2016 4.03 -6.9%
2017 3.89 -3.5%
2018 3.76 -3.3%
2019 3.69 -1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 15.57 14.9 16.27 10
1960s 13.81 12.76 14.76 10
1970s 11.7 10.89 12.53 10
1980s 9.48 8.13 10.65 10
1990s 7.32 7.05 7.82 10
2000s 7.4 5.92 7.9 10
2010s 4.42 3.69 5.33 10

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 47 Congo 3.95 compare
  2. 48 Equatorial Guinea 3.81 compare
  3. 49 Gambia 3.78 compare
  4. 51 India 3.58 compare
  5. 52 Namibia 3.51 compare
  6. 53 Kiribati 3.35 compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is child mortality rate ihme in South Africa?
Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa was 3.69 in 2019, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest child mortality rate ihme recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.27 in 1950.
What is the lowest child mortality rate ihme recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3.69 in 2019.
How does South Africa rank for child mortality rate ihme?
South Africa ranks 50th out of 201 countries with data for 2019.
Is child mortality rate ihme rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality rate ihme. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Child mortality rate ihme in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/child-mortality-rate-ihme/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Child mortality rate ihme
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
204 places, 14,280 data points, 1950–2019
Last refreshed