Stillbirth rate in South Africa
South Africa: Stillbirth rate was 18.72 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
18.72
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
30th
of 199 countries
All-time high
20.74
in 2000
All-time low
16.45
in 2017
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Stillbirth rate in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for stillbirth rate in South Africa is 18.72, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stillbirth rate in South Africa peaked at 20.74 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.45, in 2017.
That places South Africa 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Stillbirth rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.74 | — |
| 2001 | 20.12 | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 19.79 | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 19.52 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 19.23 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 18.93 | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 18.54 | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 18.31 | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 18.11 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 17.96 | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 17.73 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 17.46 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 17.23 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 16.97 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 16.78 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 16.61 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 16.48 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 16.45 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 16.55 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 16.88 | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 17.62 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 18.32 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 18.67 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 18.72 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.13 | 17.96 | 20.74 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.92 | 16.45 | 17.73 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.33 | 17.62 | 18.72 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 27 Tanzania, United Republic of 19.31 compare
- 28 Papua New Guinea 19.21 compare
- 29 Burkina Faso 18.87 compare
- 31 Benin 18.6 compare
- 32 Gambia 18.48 compare
- 33 Madagascar 18.42 compare
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 stillbirth rate in South Africa?
- Stillbirth rate in South Africa was 18.72 in 2023, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest stillbirth rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20.74 in 2000.
- What is the lowest stillbirth rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.45 in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for stillbirth rate?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is stillbirth rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. 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 Stillbirth rate (per 1000 total births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).