Mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa
South Africa: Mortality rates age 65 by sex was 3.79 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.79
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
16th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.41
in 2021
All-time low
3.77
in 2001
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 3.79 for mortality rates age 65 by sex in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa peaked at 5.41 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.77, in 2001.
That places South Africa 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4.98 | — |
| 1951 | 4.92 | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 4.85 | -1.4% |
| 1953 | 4.8 | -1.2% |
| 1954 | 4.73 | -1.3% |
| 1955 | 4.68 | -1.2% |
| 1956 | 4.62 | -1.2% |
| 1957 | 4.57 | -1.1% |
| 1958 | 4.49 | -1.7% |
| 1959 | 4.45 | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 4.39 | -1.5% |
| 1961 | 4.39 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 4.32 | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 4.31 | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 4.28 | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 4.28 | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 4.25 | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 4.25 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 4.25 | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 4.24 | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 4.25 | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 4.22 | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 4.18 | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 4.15 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 4.12 | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 4.06 | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 4.06 | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 4.05 | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 4.01 | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 4 | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 3.99 | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 3.97 | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 3.96 | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 3.95 | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 3.95 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 3.96 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 3.98 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 4.03 | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 4.07 | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 4.11 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 4.17 | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 4.19 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 4.23 | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 4.28 | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 4.33 | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 4.43 | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 4.17 | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 4.16 | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.13 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 4.13 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 3.81 | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 3.77 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 4.02 | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 4.17 | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 4.15 | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 4.12 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 4.3 | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 4.27 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 4.18 | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 4.25 | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 4.29 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 4.28 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 4.04 | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 3.98 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 4.05 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 4 | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 3.97 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 4 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 4.01 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 3.9 | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 4.53 | +16.0% |
| 2021 | 5.41 | +19.5% |
| 2022 | 3.93 | -27.4% |
| 2023 | 3.79 | -3.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.79 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.59, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.79 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.36, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -27.4% | 5.41 | 3.93 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.71 | 4.45 | 4.98 | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.29 | 4.24 | 4.39 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.11 | 4 | 4.25 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4 | 3.95 | 4.11 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.22 | 4.13 | 4.43 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.11 | 3.77 | 4.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.05 | 3.9 | 4.29 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.41 | 3.79 | 5.41 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 13 Mozambique 3.89 compare
- 14 Marshall Islands 3.86 compare
- 15 Chad 3.86 compare
- 17 Liberia 3.75 compare
- 18 Sao Tome and Principe 3.7 compare
- 19 Nigeria 3.66 compare
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 rates age 65 by sex in South Africa?
- Mortality rates age 65 by sex in South Africa was 3.79 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mortality rates age 65 by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.41 in 2021.
- What is the lowest mortality rates age 65 by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.77 in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for mortality rates age 65 by sex?
- South Africa ranks 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mortality rates age 65 by sex rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. 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 Mortality rates age 65 by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).