Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa

South Africa: Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia was 2,570 in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
2,570
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
21st
of 191 countries
All-time high
2,570
in 2019
All-time low
1,962
in 2011
Years of data
20
2000–2019

Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa, 2000–2019

01.0k2.0k3.0k2000200920192000: 2.0k2001: 2.0k2002: 2.0k2003: 2.0k2004: 2.0k2005: 2.0k2006: 2.1k2007: 2.1k2008: 2.1k2009: 2.0k2010: 2.0k2011: 2.0k2012: 2.0k2013: 2.0k2014: 2.1k2015: 2.2k2016: 2.3k2017: 2.4k2018: 2.5k2019: 2.6k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa is 2,570, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 27.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa peaked at 2,570 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1,962, in 2011.

That places South Africa 21st out of 191 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia (thousands) in South Africa, 2000 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2000 2,007
2001 1,993 -0.7%
2002 1,979 -0.7%
2003 1,976 -0.1%
2004 1,993 +0.8%
2005 2,016 +1.2%
2006 2,055 +1.9%
2007 2,063 +0.4%
2008 2,051 -0.6%
2009 2,012 -1.9%
2010 1,966 -2.3%
2011 1,962 -0.2%
2012 1,986 +1.2%
2013 2,048 +3.1%
2014 2,130 +4.0%
2015 2,219 +4.2%
2016 2,302 +3.7%
2017 2,394 +4.0%
2018 2,484 +3.7%
2019 2,570 +3.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 2,570 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 133.79, 19.2× the median. (56 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 2,570 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,250, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2,015 1,976 2,063 10
2010s 2,206 1,962 2,570 10

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 18 Côte d'Ivoire 2,925 compare
  2. 19 Mali 2,792 compare
  3. 20 Burkina Faso 2,610 compare
  4. 22 Afghanistan 2,534 compare
  5. 23 Ghana 2,460 compare
  6. 24 Cameroon 2,404 compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa?
Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa was 2,570 in 2019, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2,570 in 2019.
What is the lowest number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1,962 in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia?
South Africa ranks 21st out of 191 countries with data for 2019.
Is number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-children-aged-6-59-months-with-anaemia-thousands/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of children aged 6-59 months with anaemia (thousands)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
204 places, 4,080 data points, 2000–2019
Last refreshed