Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa
South Africa: Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio was 251,724 one-year-olds in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
251,724 one-year-olds
Change on year
up 38.0%
World rank
21st
of 194 countries
All-time high
349,242 one-year-olds
in 1988
All-time low
164,790 one-year-olds
in 2021
Years of data
41
1983–2023
Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa, 1983–2023
Source: WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in one-year-olds.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 251,724 one-year-olds for number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 38.0% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa peaked at 349,242 one-year-olds in 1988 and was at its lowest, 164,790 one-year-olds, in 2021.
That places South Africa 21st out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa, year by year
| Year | one-year-olds | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 206,719 one-year-olds | — |
| 1984 | 256,230 one-year-olds | +24.0% |
| 1985 | 251,083 one-year-olds | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 337,474 one-year-olds | +34.4% |
| 1987 | 288,999 one-year-olds | -14.4% |
| 1988 | 349,242 one-year-olds | +20.8% |
| 1989 | 313,963 one-year-olds | -10.1% |
| 1990 | 276,110 one-year-olds | -12.1% |
| 1991 | 202,293 one-year-olds | -26.7% |
| 1992 | 233,600 one-year-olds | +15.5% |
| 1993 | 208,929 one-year-olds | -10.6% |
| 1994 | 294,644 one-year-olds | +41.0% |
| 1995 | 301,781 one-year-olds | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 291,486 one-year-olds | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 305,450 one-year-olds | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 295,409 one-year-olds | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 296,284 one-year-olds | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 291,611 one-year-olds | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 284,581 one-year-olds | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 287,703 one-year-olds | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 285,540 one-year-olds | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 259,975 one-year-olds | -9.0% |
| 2005 | 250,264 one-year-olds | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 219,045 one-year-olds | -12.5% |
| 2007 | 226,594 one-year-olds | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 253,327 one-year-olds | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 286,590 one-year-olds | +13.1% |
| 2010 | 324,169 one-year-olds | +13.1% |
| 2011 | 326,265 one-year-olds | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 347,340 one-year-olds | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 236,937 one-year-olds | -31.8% |
| 2014 | 171,191 one-year-olds | -27.7% |
| 2015 | 174,659 one-year-olds | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 175,290 one-year-olds | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 180,122 one-year-olds | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 198,345 one-year-olds | +10.1% |
| 2019 | 167,598 one-year-olds | -15.5% |
| 2020 | 183,124 one-year-olds | +9.3% |
| 2021 | 164,790 one-year-olds | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 182,448 one-year-olds | +10.7% |
| 2023 | 251,724 one-year-olds | +38.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 286,244 one-year-olds | 206,719 one-year-olds | 349,242 one-year-olds | 7 |
| 1990s | 270,599 one-year-olds | 202,293 one-year-olds | 305,450 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2000s | 264,523 one-year-olds | 219,045 one-year-olds | 291,611 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2010s | 230,192 one-year-olds | 167,598 one-year-olds | 347,340 one-year-olds | 10 |
| 2020s | 195,522 one-year-olds | 164,790 one-year-olds | 251,724 one-year-olds | 4 |
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)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.4769 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1293 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa?
- Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio in South Africa was 251,724 one-year-olds in 2023, according to WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 349,242 one-year-olds in 1988.
- What is the lowest number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 164,790 one-year-olds in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WHO & UNICEF (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of one-year-olds who are not vaccinated against polio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of one-year-olds who have not had the third dose of either the oral or inactivated polio vaccine in a given year.