Infant mortality by sex in South Africa
South Africa: Infant mortality by sex was 2.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.61 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
60th
of 199 countries
All-time high
11.66 deaths per 100 live births
in 1976
All-time low
2.61 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Infant mortality by sex in South Africa, 1976–2024
Source: United Nations 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 2.61 deaths per 100 live births for infant mortality by sex in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality by sex in South Africa peaked at 11.66 deaths per 100 live births in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.61 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 60th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Infant mortality by sex in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 11.66 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1977 | 11.01 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 10.4 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 9.82 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 9.29 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 8.79 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 8.33 deaths per 100 live births | -5.2% |
| 1983 | 7.92 deaths per 100 live births | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 7.53 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 7.18 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1986 | 6.84 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 6.51 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 6.2 deaths per 100 live births | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 5.92 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 5.66 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 5.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 5.27 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 5.15 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 5.06 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 4.91 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 4.87 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 4.87 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 4.92 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 4.96 deaths per 100 live births | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 5.03 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 5.06 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 5.13 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 5.16 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 5.06 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 4.88 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 4.67 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 4.35 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 4.07 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 2010 | 3.84 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 3.68 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 3.55 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 3.42 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 3.28 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 3.13 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 3 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 2.88 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 2.77 deaths per 100 live births | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 2.69 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 2.64 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 2.62 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 2.61 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 2.62 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 2.61 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.72 deaths per 100 live births | 9.82 deaths per 100 live births | 11.66 deaths per 100 live births | 4 |
| 1980s | 7.45 deaths per 100 live births | 5.92 deaths per 100 live births | 9.29 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.11 deaths per 100 live births | 4.87 deaths per 100 live births | 5.66 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.84 deaths per 100 live births | 4.07 deaths per 100 live births | 5.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.22 deaths per 100 live births | 2.69 deaths per 100 live births | 3.84 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.62 deaths per 100 live births | 2.61 deaths per 100 live births | 2.64 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 57 Tajikistan 2.64 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 58 Guyana 2.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 59 Bangladesh 2.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 61 Fiji 2.58 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 62 Marshall Islands 2.51 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 63 Niue 2.45 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 infant mortality by sex in South Africa?
- Infant mortality by sex in South Africa was 2.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.66 deaths per 100 live births in 1976.
- What is the lowest infant mortality by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.61 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for infant mortality by sex?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality by sex rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of male children aged under one year, per 100 live births .