China vs South Africa

China vs South Africa: Child mortality

Child mortality in 2024: 0.6 per 100 live births in China and 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2.9 per 100 live births, or 6.16 times that in China.

ChinaSouth Africa
Watch it change on the map

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

All yearsSince 1990Since 2010
ValuesChange
LinearLog
World
China vs South Africa: Child mortalityChild mortality in 2024: 0.6 per 100 live births in China and 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2.9 per 100 live births, or 6.16 times that in China.
ChinaSouth AfricaWorld

Latest figures

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

CountryLatest10 years beforeRank in 2024
China0.6 20241.2152 of 200
South Africa3.5 2024453 of 200
World3.7 20244.4

What the numbers say

  • South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1974.
  • The world as a whole: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024.

Every year

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

YearChinaSouth AfricaWorld
20240.63.53.7
20230.63.53.8
20220.73.44
20210.73.44
20200.83.43.9
20190.83.44
20180.93.54
20170.93.64.1
201613.74.2
20151.13.84.3
20141.244.4
20131.34.14.5
20121.44.34.7
20111.54.65
20101.655.1
20091.75.75.3
20081.96.45.5
200727.15.7
20062.27.76
20052.486.2
20042.68.16.6
20032.97.96.8
20023.17.77.1
20013.47.57.4
20003.77.17.7
19993.96.97.9
19984.16.68.3
19974.46.38.4
19964.66.18.6
19954.75.98.8
19944.95.88.9
19935.15.79.1
19925.25.69.2
19915.35.79.3
19905.45.89.4
19895.469.5
19885.46.310
19875.46.69.9
19865.46.910.3
19855.47.210.6
19845.57.610.9
19835.6811.1
19825.88.411.2
198168.911.6
19806.39.411.9
19796.69.911.9
1978710.512.3
19777.411.112.6
19767.911.812.8
19758.412.513.1
1974913.213.3
19739.5–13.5
197210.1–13.7
197110.6–13.9
197011.2–14.2
196911.8–14.6
196813.2–15
1967––15.3
1966––15.1
196511.5–15.1
1964––15.7
1963––16.2
196216.8–17
196126.2–18.8
196030.9–20.2
195926.9–19.9
195823.3–19.7
1957––20.5
1956––21.3
195529.1–22.3
1954––22.8
1953––23.3
1952––23.9
1951––24.3
195031.7–24.7
1949––24.9
1948––24.9
1947––25.5
1946––25.8
1945––26.7
1944––27.4
1943––27.7
1942––27.9
1941––27.8
1940––27.9
1939––28
1938––28.7
1937––28.8
1936––29.1
1935––29.5
1934––30.7
1933––30.5
1932––30.7
1931––31.4
1930––31.6
1929––32
1928––31.9
1927––31.9
1926––32.7
1925––32.4
1924––33.1
1923––33.1
1922––33.2
1921––34.2
1920––34.4
1919––35.7
1918––37.6
1917––35.3
1916––35.1
1915––35.3
1914––35.4
1913––35.1
1912––35.5
1911––36
1910––36.4
1909––36.6
1908––37.2
1907––37.4
1906––38.1
1905––38.8
1904––38.9
1903––39.5
1902––40.1
1901––40.8
1900––40.9
1899––40.8
1898––41.2
1897––41
1896––41.1
1895––41.3
1894––41.2
1893––41.2
1892––41.7
1891––41.3
1890––41.5
1889––41.2
1888––41
1887––41.1
1886––41.1
1885––41.2
1884––41.1
1883––41.4
1882––41.5
1881––41.1
1880––41.6
1879––41.1
1878––41.6
1877––41.2
1876––41.4
1875––41.5
1874––41.7
1873––41.8
1872––42.1
1871––42.2
1870––41.9
1869––42.1
1868––42.4
1867––42
1866––42.1
1865––42.3
1864––42.2
1863––42.5
1862––42.6
1861––42.9
1860––42.9
1859––43.7
1858––43.8
1857––44.2
1856––44.2
1855––44
1854––43.7
1853––43.2
1852––42.9
1851––42.4
1850––42
1849––42.3
1848––42.3
1847––42.2
1846––42.4
1845––42
1844––42.1
1843––42.1
1842––42.2
1841––42.1
1840––42.1
1839––42.1
1838––42.2
1837––42.2
1836––42.2
1835––42.2
1834––42.3
1833––42.2
1832––42.2
1831––42.2
1830––42.2
1829––42.1
1828––42.1
1827––42.1
1826––42.1
1825––42.1
1824––42.1
1823––42.1
1822––42.1
1821––42.1
1820––42.1
1819––42.2
1818––42.2
1817––42.2
1816––42.2
1815––42.2
1814––42.3
1813––42.3
1812––42.4
1811––42.4
1810––42.5
1809––42.5
1808––42.5
1807––42.5
1806––42.6
1805––42.6
1804––42.6
1803––42.6
1802––42.7
1801––42.7
1800––42.8

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • The share of children who die before their fifth birthday.
  • Source: Gapminder (2015) and UN IGME (2025), via Our World in Data.
  • Ranks count the 200 countries with a value in 2024, 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