Number of youth deaths in South Africa
South Africa: Number of youth deaths was 47,171 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
47,171
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
28th
of 199 countries
All-time high
98,662
in 2005
All-time low
45,896
in 2020
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Number of youth deaths in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of youth deaths in South Africa is 47,171, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of youth deaths in South Africa peaked at 98,662 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 45,896, in 2020.
That places South Africa 28th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of youth deaths in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 76,208 | — |
| 1991 | 74,145 | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 73,395 | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 73,754 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 73,855 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 75,591 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 78,638 | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 80,072 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 82,349 | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 85,052 | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 86,853 | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 89,051 | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 91,171 | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 93,999 | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 97,405 | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 98,662 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 97,634 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 92,805 | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 86,384 | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 78,614 | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 69,137 | -12.1% |
| 2011 | 62,915 | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 59,798 | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 57,640 | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 55,427 | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 53,058 | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 50,400 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 48,284 | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 47,100 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 46,415 | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 45,896 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 46,025 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 46,449 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 46,926 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 47,171 | +0.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 47,171 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,924, 24.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 47,171 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 37,112, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77,306 | 73,395 | 85,052 | 10 |
| 2000s | 91,258 | 78,614 | 98,662 | 10 |
| 2010s | 55,017 | 46,415 | 69,137 | 10 |
| 2020s | 46,493 | 45,896 | 47,171 | 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 number of youth deaths in South Africa?
- Number of youth deaths in South Africa was 47,171 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of youth deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 98,662 in 2005.
- What is the lowest number of youth deaths recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,896 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for number of youth deaths?
- South Africa ranks 28th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of youth deaths rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. 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 Number of youth deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).