Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa
South Africa: Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles was 239,737 one-year-olds in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
239,737 one-year-olds
Change on year
up 40.8%
World rank
25th
of 194 countries
All-time high
404,969 one-year-olds
in 1986
All-time low
153,019 one-year-olds
in 2021
Years of data
41
1983–2023
Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa, 1983–2023
Source: WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in one-year-olds.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 239,737 one-year-olds for number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.8% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa peaked at 404,969 one-year-olds in 1986 and was at its lowest, 153,019 one-year-olds, in 2021.
That places South Africa 25th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa, year by year
| Year | one-year-olds | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 268,735 one-year-olds | — |
| 1984 | 320,287 one-year-olds | +19.2% |
| 1985 | 327,500 one-year-olds | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 404,969 one-year-olds | +23.7% |
| 1987 | 288,999 one-year-olds | -28.6% |
| 1988 | 372,524 one-year-olds | +28.9% |
| 1989 | 186,052 one-year-olds | -50.1% |
| 1990 | 241,597 one-year-olds | +29.9% |
| 1991 | 168,578 one-year-olds | -30.2% |
| 1992 | 166,857 one-year-olds | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 164,944 one-year-olds | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 261,906 one-year-olds | +58.8% |
| 1995 | 258,670 one-year-olds | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 259,098 one-year-olds | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 196,361 one-year-olds | -24.2% |
| 1998 | 221,557 one-year-olds | +12.8% |
| 1999 | 255,417 one-year-olds | +15.3% |
| 2000 | 281,555 one-year-olds | +10.2% |
| 2001 | 304,207 one-year-olds | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 335,654 one-year-olds | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 361,684 one-year-olds | +7.8% |
| 2004 | 356,263 one-year-olds | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 360,379 one-year-olds | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 323,352 one-year-olds | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 345,285 one-year-olds | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 297,384 one-year-olds | -13.9% |
| 2009 | 263,662 one-year-olds | -11.3% |
| 2010 | 324,169 one-year-olds | +22.9% |
| 2011 | 258,762 one-year-olds | -20.2% |
| 2012 | 235,295 one-year-olds | -9.1% |
| 2013 | 248,220 one-year-olds | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 182,604 one-year-olds | -26.4% |
| 2015 | 163,015 one-year-olds | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 186,976 one-year-olds | +14.7% |
| 2017 | 213,895 one-year-olds | +14.4% |
| 2018 | 209,364 one-year-olds | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 189,945 one-year-olds | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 183,124 one-year-olds | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 153,019 one-year-olds | -16.4% |
| 2022 | 170,285 one-year-olds | +11.3% |
| 2023 | 239,737 one-year-olds | +40.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 309,867 one-year-olds | 186,052 one-year-olds | 404,969 one-year-olds | 7 |
| 1990s | 219,498 one-year-olds | 164,944 one-year-olds | 261,906 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2000s | 322,942 one-year-olds | 263,662 one-year-olds | 361,684 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2010s | 221,224 one-year-olds | 163,015 one-year-olds | 324,169 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2020s | 186,541 one-year-olds | 153,019 one-year-olds | 239,737 one-year-olds | 4 |
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 number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa?
- Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles in South Africa was 239,737 one-year-olds in 2023, according to WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 404,969 one-year-olds in 1986.
- What is the lowest number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 153,019 one-year-olds in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against measles. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of one-year-olds who have not had the first dose of the measles vaccine in a given year.