Infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa
South Africa: Infant mortality rate wdi was 2.22 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.22
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
58th
of 199 countries
All-time high
10.08
in 1976
All-time low
2.22
in 2024
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa, 1976–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa stood at 2.22. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa peaked at 10.08 in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.22, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 58th 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 rate wdi in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 10.08 | — |
| 1977 | 9.48 | -5.9% |
| 1978 | 8.92 | -6.0% |
| 1979 | 8.38 | -6.0% |
| 1980 | 7.9 | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 7.45 | -5.7% |
| 1982 | 7.03 | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 6.66 | -5.3% |
| 1984 | 6.33 | -5.0% |
| 1985 | 6.02 | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 5.72 | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 5.44 | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 5.17 | -5.0% |
| 1989 | 4.93 | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 4.72 | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 4.55 | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 4.42 | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 4.32 | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 4.27 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 4.21 | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 4.17 | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 4.16 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 4.19 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 4.25 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 4.32 | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 4.4 | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 4.45 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 4.52 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 4.56 | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 4.47 | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 4.3 | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 4.12 | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 3.83 | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 3.57 | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 3.36 | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 3.21 | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 3.1 | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 2.98 | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 2.85 | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 2.72 | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 2.6 | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 2.48 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 2.39 | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 2.31 | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 2.26 | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 2.24 | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 2.23 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 2.23 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.22 | -0.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.22 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.03, 2.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.22 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.31, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.21 | 8.38 | 10.08 | 4 |
| 1980s | 6.27 | 4.93 | 7.9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.33 | 4.16 | 4.72 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.25 | 3.57 | 4.56 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8 | 2.31 | 3.36 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.24 | 2.22 | 2.26 | 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)
- 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 infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa?
- Infant mortality rate wdi in South Africa was 2.22 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate wdi recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.08 in 1976.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate wdi recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.22 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for infant mortality rate wdi?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate wdi rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.1%. 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 Infant mortality rate wdi. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).