Mortality rate, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births) in South Africa
South Africa: Mortality rate, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births) was 37.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
37.6 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
54th
of 197 countries
All-time high
126 per 1,000 live births
in 1976
All-time low
36.3 per 1,000 live births
in 2020
Years of data
49
1976–2024
Mortality rate, under-5, 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
In 2024, mortality rate, under-5, male in South Africa stood at 37.6 per 1,000 live births.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5, male in South Africa peaked at 126 per 1,000 live births in 1976 and was at its lowest, 36.3 per 1,000 live births, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 54th 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, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 126 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1977 | 119.1 per 1,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 1978 | 112.4 per 1,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 106.3 per 1,000 live births | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 100.8 per 1,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 95.5 per 1,000 live births | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 90.7 per 1,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 1983 | 86.3 per 1,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1984 | 82.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 78.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1986 | 74.9 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1987 | 71.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 68.2 per 1,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 1989 | 65.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 63.2 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 61.7 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 61 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 61.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 62.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 63.6 per 1,000 live births | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 65.2 per 1,000 live births | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 67 per 1,000 live births | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 69.9 per 1,000 live births | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 72.7 per 1,000 live births | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 75.3 per 1,000 live births | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 78.4 per 1,000 live births | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 80.8 per 1,000 live births | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 83.1 per 1,000 live births | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 84.5 per 1,000 live births | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 83.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 80.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 74.8 per 1,000 live births | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 67.1 per 1,000 live births | -10.3% |
| 2009 | 60.1 per 1,000 live births | -10.4% |
| 2010 | 53.3 per 1,000 live births | -11.3% |
| 2011 | 48.5 per 1,000 live births | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 45.9 per 1,000 live births | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 44.1 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 42.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 40.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 39.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 38.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 37.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 36.8 per 1,000 live births | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 36.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 36.5 per 1,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 36.8 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 37.3 per 1,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 37.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 37.6 per 1,000 live births is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.3 per 1,000 live births, 2.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 37.6 per 1,000 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.8 per 1,000 live births, 70% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 115.95 per 1,000 live births | 106.3 per 1,000 live births | 126 per 1,000 live births | 4 |
| 1980s | 81.38 per 1,000 live births | 65.4 per 1,000 live births | 100.8 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.78 per 1,000 live births | 61 per 1,000 live births | 72.7 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.83 per 1,000 live births | 60.1 per 1,000 live births | 84.5 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.69 per 1,000 live births | 36.8 per 1,000 live births | 53.3 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.9 per 1,000 live births | 36.3 per 1,000 live births | 37.6 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)
- 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 mortality rate, under-5, male in South Africa?
- Mortality rate, under-5, male in South Africa was 37.6 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, under-5, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 126 per 1,000 live births in 1976.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.3 per 1,000 live births in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for mortality rate, under-5, male?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. 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, under-5, male (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Under-five mortality rate, male is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn male baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to male age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.