Mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa
South Africa: Mortality rate, infant, male was 26.1 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
26.1 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
58th
of 197 countries
All-time high
116.6 per 1,000 live births
in 1976
All-time low
26.1 per 1,000 live births
in 2022
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Mortality rate, infant, male 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
The most recent figure for mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa is 26.1 per 1,000 live births, 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 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa peaked at 116.6 per 1,000 live births in 1976 and was at its lowest, 26.1 per 1,000 live births, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 58th of 197 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.
Mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 116.6 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1977 | 110.1 per 1,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 1978 | 104 per 1,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 1979 | 98.2 per 1,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 92.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 87.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 83.3 per 1,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 1983 | 79.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1984 | 75.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1985 | 71.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1986 | 68.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 65.1 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 62 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 1989 | 59.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 56.6 per 1,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 1991 | 54.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 52.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 51.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 50.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 49.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 49.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 48.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 48.7 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 49.2 per 1,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 49.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 50.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 50.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 51.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 51.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 50.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 48.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 46.7 per 1,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 43.5 per 1,000 live births | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 40.7 per 1,000 live births | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 38.4 per 1,000 live births | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 36.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 35.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 34.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 32.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 31.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 30 per 1,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 28.8 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 27.7 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 26.9 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 26.4 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 26.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 26.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 26.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 26.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 107.22 per 1,000 live births | 98.2 per 1,000 live births | 116.6 per 1,000 live births | 4 |
| 1980s | 74.51 per 1,000 live births | 59.2 per 1,000 live births | 92.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.14 per 1,000 live births | 48.7 per 1,000 live births | 56.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.37 per 1,000 live births | 40.7 per 1,000 live births | 51.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.24 per 1,000 live births | 26.9 per 1,000 live births | 38.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.2 per 1,000 live births | 26.1 per 1,000 live births | 26.4 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 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0424 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 2.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0426 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate -0.9299 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa?
- Mortality rate, infant, male in South Africa was 26.1 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, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 116.6 per 1,000 live births in 1976.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, infant, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1 per 1,000 live births in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for mortality rate, infant, male?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, infant, male 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 UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.