Ethiopia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 33 per 1,000 live births in Ethiopia and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 5.1 per 1,000 live births, or 1.18 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

EthiopiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Ethiopia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Ethiopia ranked 35 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ethiopia at 4.3 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	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2023	33	27.9	27.3
2022	34	30.1	28.2
2021	35.1	27.6	28.4
2020	36.3	21.8	28.7
2019	37.6	27.8	29.2
2018	38.9	26.1	29.7
2017	40.4	23.8	30.3
2016	42	26.2	31.1
2015	43.7	28	32.1
2014	45.7	29.2	32.9
2013	47.7	29.6	33.9
2012	49.9	27.6	35
2011	52.2	28.5	36.8
2010	54.7	35.4	37.7
2009	57.4	39.7	39.1
2008	60.2	45.4	40.4
2007	63.3	48.3	42
2006	66.6	49.6	43.7
2005	69.8	51.9	45.4
2004	73.2	51.2	47.2
2003	76.8	53.5	48.8
2002	80.2	51.9	50.6
2001	83.8	47.3	52.2
2000	87.3	45.8	53.7
1999	91.1	51.1	55.5
1998	94.1	49.8	57.1
1997	97.7	48.6	58.3
1996	101.1	47.6	59.6
1995	104.6	46.8	60.8
1994	107.9	46.2	62
1993	111.2	46.1	62.9
1992	114.2	46.2	64.1
1991	117.6	46.7	64.9
1990	122.2	47.5	64.9
1989	123.4	48.6	66.2
1988	125.6	49.9	68
1987	127.2	51.7	68.6
1986	167.2	53.4	70.8
1985	170.5	55.5	72.9
1984	176.2	57.7	74.6
1983	178.7	60	76.1
1982	138.5	62.5	76.6
1981	140	65.1	78.7
1980	141.5	67.5	80.6
1979	143	70	82.5
1978	146.6	72.3	84.7
1977	147.3	74.6	86.4
1976	147.8	76.7	88.1
1975	162.2	78.6	89.6
1974	162.4	80.4	90.9
1973	151.4	82.1	92.1
1972	151.8	83.8	93.6
1971	145.6	85.3	96.1
1970	145.9	86.7	96.9
1969	146.3	88	98.3
1968	146.9	89.1	100.2
1967	147.8	90.2	103.1
1966	162.2	91.3	104.9
1965	151.5	92.3	106.4
1964	153.1	93.3	106.1
1963	155.8	94.5	107.7
1962	158.9	95.9	110.2
1961	162.3	97.6	121.5
1960	165.9	99.7	131.8
1959	169.7	102.3	125.7
1958	210.2	105.5	117.7
1957	214	109.3	120
1956	180.8	113.4	121.9
1955	184.4	117.8	124.8
1954	187.8	122.2	127.7
1953	191	126.4	130.1
1952	194.1	130.6	132.7
1951	197.2	134.5	136
1950	200.1	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2024	31.926–37.4	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	30.923.3–38.9	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	29.920.6–39.8	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	28.818.2–40.3	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	27.716.7–40.9	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	26.714.7–41.4	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	25.713.4–40.8	20.211–31.2	24
2031	24.812.3–40.9	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	23.911.7–41.7	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	2310.7–41.5	199–31.8	22.8
2034	22.210.2–41	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	21.49.2–40.7	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	20.78.4–41.5	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	19.97.6–41.7	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	19.27.3–41.6	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	18.57–41.4	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	17.86.6–41.1	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	17.26.4–41.5	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	16.65.9–40.1	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	165.6–40.5	155.2–32.6	19
2044	15.55.3–40.2	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	155.2–40.1	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	14.44.8–39	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	13.94.7–39	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	13.44.4–39.2	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	134.2–36.9	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	12.64.1–38.7	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	12.34–39.1	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	11.93.9–38.5	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	11.63.8–38.2	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	11.23.6–37.6	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	113.5–37.8	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	10.73.4–37.1	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	10.43.4–37.9	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	10.13.2–37.1	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	9.83.1–37.3	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	9.53–38.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	9.22.9–37	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	92.8–36.5	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	8.82.8–37	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	8.52.6–36.4	8.22–28	14.5
2065	8.32.6–35.5	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	8.12.6–35.5	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	7.82.4–34.6	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	7.62.4–34.3	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	7.42.3–34.2	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	7.22.2–32.9	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	72.2–32.2	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	6.92.1–32	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	6.72.1–32.8	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	6.62.1–32.2	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	6.42–32.9	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	6.32–32.6	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	6.22–31.7	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	6.11.9–31.8	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	61.9–31.8	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	5.91.8–31.9	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	5.81.9–31.8	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	5.71.8–30.9	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	5.61.7–31.4	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	5.51.7–30.6	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	5.41.6–29.8	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	5.31.7–30.4	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	5.21.6–29.9	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	5.21.6–29.5	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	5.11.5–30.2	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	51.5–29.4	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	4.91.5–29.8	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	4.81.4–30.1	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	4.81.4–30.2	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	4.71.4–28.8	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	4.61.4–29.5	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	4.61.3–29	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	4.51.3–28.4	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	4.41.3–28	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	4.41.3–28.2	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	4.31.3–27.9	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