Under-five mortality rate in South Africa
South Africa: Under-five mortality rate was 35.06 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
35.06
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
53rd
of 200 countries
All-time high
132.26
in 1974
All-time low
33.89
in 2020
Years of data
51
1974–2024
Under-five mortality rate in South Africa, 1974–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for under-five mortality rate in South Africa is 35.06, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, under-five mortality rate in South Africa peaked at 132.26 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 33.89, in 2020.
That places South Africa 53rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Under-five mortality rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 132.26 | — |
| 1975 | 124.86 | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 117.75 | -5.7% |
| 1977 | 111.07 | -5.7% |
| 1978 | 104.72 | -5.7% |
| 1979 | 98.78 | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 93.45 | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 88.5 | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 83.79 | -5.3% |
| 1983 | 79.63 | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 75.9 | -4.7% |
| 1985 | 72.31 | -4.7% |
| 1986 | 68.89 | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 65.67 | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 62.67 | -4.6% |
| 1989 | 60.08 | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 58.1 | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 56.77 | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 56.24 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 56.62 | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 57.78 | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 59.19 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 60.9 | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 62.89 | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 65.8 | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 68.72 | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 71.37 | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 74.55 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 76.97 | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 79.2 | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 80.69 | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 79.75 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 76.87 | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 71.23 | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 63.74 | -10.5% |
| 2009 | 56.85 | -10.8% |
| 2010 | 50.25 | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 45.58 | -9.3% |
| 2012 | 43.05 | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 41.39 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 39.75 | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 38.2 | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 36.84 | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 35.71 | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 34.89 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 34.33 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 33.89 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 33.97 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 34.31 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 34.76 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 35.06 | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 114.91 | 98.78 | 132.26 | 6 |
| 1980s | 75.09 | 60.08 | 93.45 | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.3 | 56.24 | 68.72 | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.12 | 56.85 | 80.69 | 10 |
| 2010s | 40 | 34.33 | 50.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.4 | 33.89 | 35.06 | 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)
- 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 under-five mortality rate in South Africa?
- Under-five mortality rate in South Africa was 35.06 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest under-five mortality rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 132.26 in 1974.
- What is the lowest under-five mortality rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.89 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for under-five mortality rate?
- South Africa ranks 53rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is under-five mortality rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. 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 Under-five mortality rate (probability of dying by age 5 per 1000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).