Diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa
South Africa: Diphtheria - number of reported cases was 314 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
314
Change on year
up 330.1%
World rank
10th
of 210 countries
All-time high
503
in 1974
All-time low
0
in 1996
Years of data
41
1974–2025
Diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa, 1974–2025
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 314 for diphtheria - number of reported cases in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 330.1% on the previous year and up 1,993.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa peaked at 503 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1996.
South Africa ranks 10th of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 503 | — |
| 1975 | 487 | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 351 | -27.9% |
| 1977 | 286 | -18.5% |
| 1978 | 203 | -29.0% |
| 1979 | 91 | -55.2% |
| 1980 | 57 | -37.4% |
| 1981 | 63 | +10.5% |
| 1982 | 27 | -57.1% |
| 1983 | 29 | +7.4% |
| 1984 | 44 | +51.7% |
| 1985 | 46 | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 19 | -58.7% |
| 1987 | 28 | +47.4% |
| 1988 | 19 | -32.1% |
| 1989 | 12 | -36.8% |
| 1990 | 34 | +183.3% |
| 1991 | 12 | -64.7% |
| 1992 | 3 | -75.0% |
| 1993 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 1996 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1997 | 3 | — |
| 1998 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 1999 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2000 | 2 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2002 | 1 | — |
| 2003 | 3 | +200.0% |
| 2004 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2009 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2015 | 15 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2017 | 4 | — |
| 2018 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2020 | 9 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2023 | 17 | — |
| 2024 | 73 | +329.4% |
| 2025 | 314 | +330.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 320.17 | 91 | 503 | 6 |
| 1980s | 34.4 | 12 | 63 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.62 | 0 | 34 | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.17 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 2010s | 3.83 | 0 | 15 | 6 |
| 2020s | 82.6 | 0 | 314 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.4769 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1293 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa?
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases in South Africa was 314 in 2025, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest diphtheria - number of reported cases recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 503 in 1974.
- What is the lowest diphtheria - number of reported cases recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for diphtheria - number of reported cases?
- South Africa ranks 10th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is diphtheria - number of reported cases rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,993.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Diphtheria - number of reported cases. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).