Mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa
South Africa: Mortality rate, infant, female was 22.2 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
22.2 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
58th
of 197 countries
All-time high
100.8 per 1,000 live births
in 1976
All-time low
22.2 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa, 1976–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
In 2024, mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa stood at 22.2 per 1,000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa peaked at 100.8 per 1,000 live births in 1976 and was at its lowest, 22.2 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places South Africa 58th out of 197 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.
Mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 100.8 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1977 | 94.8 per 1,000 live births | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 89.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.9% |
| 1979 | 83.8 per 1,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 1980 | 79 per 1,000 live births | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 74.5 per 1,000 live births | -5.7% |
| 1982 | 70.3 per 1,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 66.6 per 1,000 live births | -5.3% |
| 1984 | 63.3 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 1985 | 60.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 57.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 54.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 51.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 1989 | 49.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 47.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 45.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 44.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 43.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 42.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 42.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 41.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 41.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 41.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 42.5 per 1,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 43.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 44 per 1,000 live births | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 44.5 per 1,000 live births | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 45.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 45.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 44.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 43 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 41.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 38.3 per 1,000 live births | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 35.7 per 1,000 live births | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 33.6 per 1,000 live births | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 32.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 31 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 29.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 28.5 per 1,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 27.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 26 per 1,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 24.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 23.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 23.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 22.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 22.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 22.3 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 22.3 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 22.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 92.15 per 1,000 live births | 83.8 per 1,000 live births | 100.8 per 1,000 live births | 4 |
| 1980s | 62.65 per 1,000 live births | 49.3 per 1,000 live births | 79 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.26 per 1,000 live births | 41.6 per 1,000 live births | 47.2 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.54 per 1,000 live births | 35.7 per 1,000 live births | 45.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 28 per 1,000 live births | 23.1 per 1,000 live births | 33.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.36 per 1,000 live births | 22.2 per 1,000 live births | 22.6 per 1,000 live births | 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 15-19, male, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.0422 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate 0.5965 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per capita 0.0391 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa?
- Mortality rate, infant, female in South Africa was 22.2 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest mortality rate, infant, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 100.8 per 1,000 live births in 1976.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, infant, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.2 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for mortality rate, infant, female?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, infant, female 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 UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Infant mortality rate, female is the number of female infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 female live births in a given year.