Infant mortality (Our World) in South Africa
South Africa: Infant mortality (Our World) was 2.42 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.42
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
58th
of 199 countries
All-time high
10.89
in 1976
All-time low
2.42
in 2024
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Infant mortality in South Africa, 1976–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for infant mortality in South Africa is 2.42, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality in South Africa peaked at 10.89 in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.42, in 2024.
That places South Africa 58th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Infant mortality (Our World) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 10.89 | — |
| 1977 | 10.26 | -5.7% |
| 1978 | 9.67 | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 9.12 | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 8.61 | -5.6% |
| 1981 | 8.14 | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 7.7 | -5.4% |
| 1983 | 7.31 | -5.1% |
| 1984 | 6.96 | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 6.62 | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 6.29 | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 5.99 | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 5.7 | -4.8% |
| 1989 | 5.44 | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 5.21 | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 5.01 | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 4.86 | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 4.75 | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 4.67 | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 4.6 | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 4.55 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 4.53 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 4.54 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 4.6 | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 4.65 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 4.72 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 4.76 | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 4.83 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 4.87 | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 4.77 | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 4.6 | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 4.4 | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 4.1 | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 3.82 | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 3.6 | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 3.45 | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 3.33 | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 3.21 | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 3.07 | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 2.93 | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 2.8 | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 2.68 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 2.58 | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 2.51 | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 2.45 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 2.43 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 2.43 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 2.43 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.42 | -0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.42 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.16, 2.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.42 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72, 65% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.98 | 9.12 | 10.89 | 4 |
| 1980s | 6.87 | 5.44 | 8.61 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.73 | 4.53 | 5.21 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.55 | 3.82 | 4.87 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.02 | 2.51 | 3.6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.43 | 2.42 | 2.45 | 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 in South Africa?
- Infant mortality in South Africa was 2.42 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.89 in 1976.
- What is the lowest infant mortality recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.42 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for infant mortality?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.1%. 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. 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).