Number of neonatal deaths (World Health) in South Africa
South Africa: Number of neonatal deaths (World Health) was 14,715 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14,715
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
34th
of 200 countries
All-time high
27,852
in 1984
All-time low
12,757
in 2002
Years of data
48
1977–2024
Number of neonatal deaths in South Africa, 1977–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 14,715 for number of neonatal deaths 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, number of neonatal deaths in South Africa peaked at 27,852 in 1984 and was at its lowest, 12,757, in 2002.
That places South Africa 34th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Number of neonatal deaths (World Health) 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)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,152 (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of neonatal deaths in South Africa?
- Number of neonatal deaths in South Africa was 14,715 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest number of neonatal deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27,852 in 1984.
- What is the lowest number of neonatal deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,757 in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for number of neonatal deaths?
- South Africa ranks 34th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of neonatal 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 World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Number of neonatal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).