Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa
South Africa: Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death was 16.49 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
16.49
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
10th
of 113 countries
All-time high
16.49
in 2020
All-time low
12.08
in 2004
Years of data
25
1996–2020
Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa, 1996–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 16.49 for deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in 2020. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.3% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa peaked at 16.49 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.08, in 2004.
South Africa ranks 10th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 14.23 | — |
| 1997 | 13.05 | -8.2% |
| 1998 | 13.69 | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 12.09 | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 12.14 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 12.41 | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 12.41 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 12.35 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 12.08 | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 12.21 | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 13.47 | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 13.84 | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 13.56 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 13.64 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 13.4 | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 13.6 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 13.52 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 12.63 | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 12.47 | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 12.39 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 13.15 | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 13.34 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 13.45 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 15.82 | +17.6% |
| 2020 | 16.49 | +4.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 16.49 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.34, 3.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.27 | 12.09 | 14.23 | 4 |
| 2000s | 12.81 | 12.08 | 13.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.38 | 12.39 | 15.82 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.49 | 16.49 | 16.49 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 7 North Macedonia 18.99 compare
- 8 El Salvador 18.13 compare
- 9 Sri Lanka 17.72 compare
- 11 Guatemala 15.91 compare
- 12 Turkmenistan 15.24 compare
- 13 Uruguay 15.03 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa?
- Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death in South Africa was 16.49 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.49 in 2020.
- What is the lowest deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.08 in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death?
- South Africa ranks 10th out of 113 countries with data for 2020.
- Is deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths registered with an ill defined cause of death. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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