Neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa
South Africa: Neonatal infant and child deaths was 14,715 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14,715
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
34th
of 199 countries
All-time high
27,852
in 1984
All-time low
12,757
in 2002
Years of data
48
1977–2024
Neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa, 1977–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa is 14,715, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa peaked at 27,852 in 1984 and was at its lowest, 12,757, in 2002.
South Africa ranks 34th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 26,627 | — |
| 1978 | 26,652 | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 26,822 | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 26,934 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 27,229 | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 27,667 | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 27,721 | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 27,852 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 27,817 | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 27,486 | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 27,337 | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 26,485 | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 25,431 | -4.0% |
| 1990 | 24,045 | -5.5% |
| 1991 | 23,513 | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 22,575 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 22,170 | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 20,288 | -8.5% |
| 1995 | 20,559 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 19,331 | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 17,728 | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 16,179 | -8.7% |
| 1999 | 15,054 | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 13,716 | -8.9% |
| 2001 | 13,112 | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 12,757 | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 13,055 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 13,694 | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 14,414 | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 15,095 | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 15,478 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 16,613 | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 15,706 | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 15,066 | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 14,675 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 14,441 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 14,213 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 14,218 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 13,907 | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 13,418 | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 13,258 | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 13,306 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 13,451 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 13,668 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 13,957 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 14,229 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 14,486 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 14,715 | +1.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 14,715 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 788, 18.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 14,715 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13,437, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26,700 | 26,627 | 26,822 | 3 |
| 1980s | 27,196 | 25,431 | 27,852 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20,144 | 15,054 | 24,045 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,364 | 12,757 | 16,613 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,995 | 13,258 | 15,066 | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,211 | 13,668 | 14,715 | 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 neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa?
- Neonatal infant and child deaths in South Africa was 14,715 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal infant and child deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27,852 in 1984.
- What is the lowest neonatal infant and child deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,757 in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for neonatal infant and child deaths?
- South Africa ranks 34th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal infant and child deaths rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. 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 Neonatal infant and child deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).