Botswana vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 28.4 per 1,000 live births in Botswana and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Botswana, by 0.5 per 1,000 live births, or 1.02 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

BotswanaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Botswana has been higher since 2023, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Botswana ranked 50 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Botswana at 6.8 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	Botswana	South Africa	World
2023	28.4	27.9	27.3
2022	29.2	30.1	28.2
2021	30	27.6	28.4
2020	30.9	21.8	28.7
2019	31.8	27.8	29.2
2018	32.8	26.1	29.7
2017	33.7	23.8	30.3
2016	34.8	26.2	31.1
2015	36	28	32.1
2014	37.3	29.2	32.9
2013	38.6	29.6	33.9
2012	40	27.6	35
2011	41.4	28.5	36.8
2010	42.7	35.4	37.7
2009	44	39.7	39.1
2008	45.4	45.4	40.4
2007	46.7	48.3	42
2006	48.7	49.6	43.7
2005	49.5	51.9	45.4
2004	50.8	51.2	47.2
2003	52	53.5	48.8
2002	52.9	51.9	50.6
2001	53.5	47.3	52.2
2000	53.7	45.8	53.7
1999	53.4	51.1	55.5
1998	52.8	49.8	57.1
1997	51.8	48.6	58.3
1996	50.2	47.6	59.6
1995	48.5	46.8	60.8
1994	46.2	46.2	62
1993	43.8	46.1	62.9
1992	41.5	46.2	64.1
1991	39.5	46.7	64.9
1990	38.1	47.5	64.9
1989	37.4	48.6	66.2
1988	37.8	49.9	68
1987	37.9	51.7	68.6
1986	39.1	53.4	70.8
1985	40.6	55.5	72.9
1984	42.5	57.7	74.6
1983	44.6	60	76.1
1982	46.8	62.5	76.6
1981	49.3	65.1	78.7
1980	51.9	67.5	80.6
1979	54.8	70	82.5
1978	57.8	72.3	84.7
1977	60.9	74.6	86.4
1976	64	76.7	88.1
1975	67.1	78.6	89.6
1974	70.2	80.4	90.9
1973	73.1	82.1	92.1
1972	76	83.8	93.6
1971	78.7	85.3	96.1
1970	81.2	86.7	96.9
1969	83.6	88	98.3
1968	85.9	89.1	100.2
1967	88.1	90.2	103.1
1966	90.2	91.3	104.9
1965	92.3	92.3	106.4
1964	94.3	93.3	106.1
1963	96.4	94.5	107.7
1962	98.6	95.9	110.2
1961	100.9	97.6	121.5
1960	103.3	99.7	131.8
1959	105.7	102.3	125.7
1958	108.2	105.5	117.7
1957	110.7	109.3	120
1956	113.1	113.4	121.9
1955	115.4	117.8	124.8
1954	117.6	122.2	127.7
1953	119.6	126.4	130.1
1952	121.6	130.6	132.7
1951	123.5	134.5	136
1950	125.4	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Botswana	South Africa	World
2024	27.822.2–34.2	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	27.219.8–36.3	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	26.517.8–37.8	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	25.916–38.7	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	25.415.1–39	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	24.814–39.3	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	24.312.9–40.5	20.211–31.2	24
2031	23.812.3–41.7	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	23.311.4–42.4	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	22.810.8–42.8	199–31.8	22.8
2034	22.310.4–43.2	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	21.810–43.7	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	21.49.7–42.8	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	20.98.8–43.5	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	20.58.4–43.4	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	20.18.1–43.6	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	19.77.7–43.7	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	19.37.5–43.5	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	18.97.2–43.4	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	18.56.8–43.7	155.2–32.6	19
2044	18.16.7–44.1	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	17.76.2–43.8	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	17.36.1–43.9	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	175.7–42.8	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	16.65.5–43.2	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	16.25.3–43.8	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	15.95.1–43.3	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	15.55–43.5	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	15.24.8–44.1	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	14.94.7–43.3	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	14.64.4–43.1	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	14.44.4–42.7	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	14.24.4–42.3	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	13.94.4–43.1	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	13.74.2–43.4	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	13.44–43.7	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	13.24–43.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	12.93.9–42.8	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	12.73.7–42.4	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	12.53.6–42.5	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	12.23.5–41.8	8.22–28	14.5
2065	123.5–42.1	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	11.73.5–42.3	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	11.53.3–42.3	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	11.33.2–41.7	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	11.13.2–41.5	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	10.93–41.5	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	10.73–41.4	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	10.53–42.3	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	10.32.9–43.7	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	10.12.9–43.4	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	9.92.9–42.1	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	9.82.8–43.2	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	9.62.7–42.4	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	9.42.7–42.1	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	9.32.6–41.2	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	9.12.6–42.1	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	8.92.5–43.2	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	8.82.5–41.4	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	8.62.5–42	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	8.52.5–41.8	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	8.32.4–42.3	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	8.22.4–39.6	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	82.3–39.3	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	7.92.3–40.5	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	7.82.2–39.5	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	7.72.2–39	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	7.62.2–39.2	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	7.52.2–39.3	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	7.42.2–40	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	7.32.1–39.1	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	7.22.2–39.3	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	7.12.1–38.4	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	72.1–40.2	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	72–39.8	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	6.92.1–39.7	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	6.82.1–39.7	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

Botswana vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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