Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in South Africa

South Africa: Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate was 2.5 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.5
Change on year
down 7.4%
World rank
77th
of 81 countries
All-time high
8.1
in 2010
All-time low
2.5
in 2024
Years of data
15
2010–2024

Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in South Africa, 2010–2024

24682010201720242010: 8.12011: 6.22012: 5.42013: 4.72014: 4.22015: 3.92016: 42017: 3.82018: 3.62019: 3.22020: 3.12021: 32022: 2.82023: 2.72024: 2.5

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for mother-to-child hiv transmission rate in South Africa is 2.5, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of down 7.4% on the previous year and down 40.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mother-to-child hiv transmission rate in South Africa peaked at 8.1 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.5, in 2024.

South Africa ranks 77th of 81 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in South Africa, 2010 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2010 8.1
2011 6.2 -23.5%
2012 5.4 -12.9%
2013 4.7 -13.0%
2014 4.2 -10.6%
2015 3.9 -7.1%
2016 4 +2.6%
2017 3.8 -5.0%
2018 3.6 -5.3%
2019 3.2 -11.1%
2020 3.1 -3.1%
2021 3 -3.2%
2022 2.8 -6.7%
2023 2.7 -3.6%
2024 2.5 -7.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 4.71 3.2 8.1 10
2020s 2.82 2.5 3.1 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 74 Romania 3.2 compare
  2. 74 Eswatini 3.2 compare
  3. 76 Netherlands 2.6 compare
  4. 78 Thailand 1.5 compare
  5. 79 Malaysia 1.4 compare
  6. 80 Botswana 1.2 compare

See the full ranking of 98 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is mother-to-child hiv transmission rate in South Africa?
Mother-to-child hiv transmission rate in South Africa was 2.5 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest mother-to-child hiv transmission rate recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8.1 in 2010.
What is the lowest mother-to-child hiv transmission rate recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5 in 2024.
How does South Africa rank for mother-to-child hiv transmission rate?
South Africa ranks 77th out of 81 countries with data for 2024.
Is mother-to-child hiv transmission rate rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/mother-to-child-hiv-transmission-rate/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
98 places, 1,460 data points, 2010–2024
Last refreshed