Australia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in Australia and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 24.7 per 1,000 live births, or 8.73 times that in Australia.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

AustraliaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Australia ranked 197 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Australia at 0.5 per 1,000 live births and South Africa at 3 per 1,000 live births in 2100.
The world as a whole: 27.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023.

Every year

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

Year	Australia	South Africa	World
2023	3.2	27.9	27.3
2022	3.6	30.1	28.2
2021	3.4	27.6	28.4
2020	3.1	21.8	28.7
2019	3.2	27.8	29.2
2018	3.1	26.1	29.7
2017	3.4	23.8	30.3
2016	3.1	26.2	31.1
2015	3.1	28	32.1
2014	3.4	29.2	32.9
2013	3.7	29.6	33.9
2012	3.3	27.6	35
2011	3.8	28.5	36.8
2010	4.1	35.4	37.7
2009	4.1	39.7	39.1
2008	4.3	45.4	40.4
2007	4.3	48.3	42
2006	4.8	49.6	43.7
2005	5.1	51.9	45.4
2004	4.7	51.2	47.2
2003	4.8	53.5	48.8
2002	5	51.9	50.6
2001	5.1	47.3	52.2
2000	5.1	45.8	53.7
1999	5.7	51.1	55.5
1998	5	49.8	57.1
1997	5.5	48.6	58.3
1996	5.7	47.6	59.6
1995	5.7	46.8	60.8
1994	6	46.2	62
1993	6	46.1	62.9
1992	6.9	46.2	64.1
1991	6.9	46.7	64.9
1990	7.9	47.5	64.9
1989	8.5	48.6	66.2
1988	8.2	49.9	68
1987	9	51.7	68.6
1986	8.8	53.4	70.8
1985	9.8	55.5	72.9
1984	9.4	57.7	74.6
1983	9.7	60	76.1
1982	10.1	62.5	76.6
1981	10.4	65.1	78.7
1980	10.6	67.5	80.6
1979	11.1	70	82.5
1978	12.2	72.3	84.7
1977	12.4	74.6	86.4
1976	13.6	76.7	88.1
1975	13.8	78.6	89.6
1974	15.8	80.4	90.9
1973	15.7	82.1	92.1
1972	16.6	83.8	93.6
1971	17.8	85.3	96.1
1970	18.6	86.7	96.9
1969	18.5	88	98.3
1968	18	89.1	100.2
1967	18	90.2	103.1
1966	18.2	91.3	104.9
1965	18.5	92.3	106.4
1964	18.7	93.3	106.1
1963	19.5	94.5	107.7
1962	20.3	95.9	110.2
1961	19.8	97.6	121.5
1960	20.1	99.7	131.8
1959	21.6	102.3	125.7
1958	20.6	105.5	117.7
1957	21.8	109.3	120
1956	21.8	113.4	121.9
1955	22.1	117.8	124.8
1954	22.3	122.2	127.7
1953	23.3	126.4	130.1
1952	24.1	130.6	132.7
1951	25.1	134.5	136
1950	24.9	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Australia	South Africa	World
2024	2.62.3–3	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	2.62.1–3.1	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	2.52–3.2	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	2.51.8–3.2	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	2.41.8–3.3	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	2.31.7–3.3	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	2.31.6–3.3	20.211–31.2	24
2031	2.31.5–3.3	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	2.21.4–3.3	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	2.21.4–3.4	199–31.8	22.8
2034	2.11.3–3.5	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	2.11.2–3.4	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	21.2–3.4	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	21.1–3.4	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	21.1–3.3	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	1.91–3.3	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	1.91–3.3	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	1.81–3.3	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	1.80.9–3.3	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	1.80.9–3.3	155.2–32.6	19
2044	1.70.9–3.3	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	1.70.8–3.2	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	1.70.8–3.2	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	1.60.7–3.2	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	1.60.7–3.1	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	1.60.7–3	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	1.50.7–3.1	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	1.50.6–3.1	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	1.50.6–3.1	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	1.50.6–3	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	1.40.5–3.1	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	1.40.6–3	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	1.40.5–3	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	1.30.5–3	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	1.30.5–3	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	1.30.5–2.9	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	1.30.4–2.9	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	1.20.4–2.8	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	1.20.4–2.8	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	1.20.4–2.8	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	1.20.4–2.9	8.22–28	14.5
2065	1.10.3–2.8	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	1.10.3–2.8	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	1.10.3–2.8	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	1.10.3–2.8	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	1.10.3–2.8	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	10.2–2.7	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	10.2–2.6	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	10.2–2.6	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	10.2–2.6	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	10.2–2.6	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	0.90.2–2.5	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	0.90.1–2.5	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	0.90.1–2.5	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	0.90.1–2.5	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	0.90.1–2.5	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	0.80.1–2.5	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	0.80.1–2.5	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	0.80.1–2.5	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	0.80.1–2.5	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	0.80.1–2.4	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	0.80.1–2.5	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	0.70–2.4	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	0.70–2.3	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	0.70–2.4	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	0.70–2.4	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	0.70–2.3	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	0.70–2.3	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	0.60–2.4	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	0.60–2.3	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	0.60–2.3	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	0.60–2.3	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	0.60–2.3	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	0.60–2.2	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	0.60–2.2	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	0.50–2.2	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	0.50–2.2	30.6–21.8	9.6

Each country on its own

Good to know

Babies who die before their first birthday, per 1,000 born alive.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Australia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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