Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa
South Africa: Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause was 4,634 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
4,634
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
40th
of 193 countries
All-time high
6,222
in 2000
All-time low
4,557
in 2016
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2021, number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa stood at 4,634.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa peaked at 6,222 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4,557, in 2016.
That places South Africa 40th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6,222 | — |
| 2001 | 5,976 | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 5,712 | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 5,698 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 5,763 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 5,735 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 5,819 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 5,680 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 5,699 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 4,980 | -12.6% |
| 2010 | 5,011 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 4,771 | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 4,560 | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 4,830 | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 4,626 | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 4,682 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 4,557 | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 4,624 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 4,831 | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 4,915 | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 4,740 | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 4,634 | -2.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 4,634 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 450.28, 10.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 4,634 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4,634, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,728 | 4,980 | 6,222 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,741 | 4,557 | 5,011 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,687 | 4,634 | 4,740 | 2 |
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa?
- Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause in South Africa was 4,634 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6,222 in 2000.
- What is the lowest number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,557 in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause?
- South Africa ranks 40th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Number of deaths in children aged <5 years, by cause. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).