India vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in India and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 5.2 per 1,000 live births, or 1.23 times that in India.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

IndiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2021, when it overtook India.
In 2023, India ranked 63 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts India at 3.4 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	India	South Africa	World
2023	22.6	27.9	27.3
2022	23.9	30.1	28.2
2021	25.2	27.6	28.4
2020	26.5	21.8	28.7
2019	28	27.8	29.2
2018	29.6	26.1	29.7
2017	31.2	23.8	30.3
2016	33	26.2	31.1
2015	34.9	28	32.1
2014	36.9	29.2	32.9
2013	39	29.6	33.9
2012	41.1	27.6	35
2011	43.3	28.5	36.8
2010	45.5	35.4	37.7
2009	47.8	39.7	39.1
2008	50.1	45.4	40.4
2007	52.4	48.3	42
2006	54.7	49.6	43.7
2005	57.1	51.9	45.4
2004	59.4	51.2	47.2
2003	61.7	53.5	48.8
2002	64.1	51.9	50.6
2001	66.5	47.3	52.2
2000	68.9	45.8	53.7
1999	71.3	51.1	55.5
1998	73.7	49.8	57.1
1997	76	48.6	58.3
1996	78.3	47.6	59.6
1995	80.5	46.8	60.8
1994	82.8	46.2	62
1993	85	46.1	62.9
1992	87.1	46.2	64.1
1991	89.4	46.7	64.9
1990	91.6	47.5	64.9
1989	93.8	48.6	66.2
1988	96.2	49.9	68
1987	98.5	51.7	68.6
1986	100.8	53.4	70.8
1985	103.3	55.5	72.9
1984	105.8	57.7	74.6
1983	108.4	60	76.1
1982	111.1	62.5	76.6
1981	113.8	65.1	78.7
1980	116.7	67.5	80.6
1979	119.5	70	82.5
1978	122.3	72.3	84.7
1977	125	74.6	86.4
1976	127.6	76.7	88.1
1975	130	78.6	89.6
1974	132.3	80.4	90.9
1973	135	82.1	92.1
1972	136.9	83.8	93.6
1971	138.2	85.3	96.1
1970	139.7	86.7	96.9
1969	141.2	88	98.3
1968	142.6	89.1	100.2
1967	150.5	90.2	103.1
1966	151.9	91.3	104.9
1965	153.3	92.3	106.4
1964	147.9	93.3	106.1
1963	149.2	94.5	107.7
1962	150.6	95.9	110.2
1961	152.1	97.6	121.5
1960	153.4	99.7	131.8
1959	155.1	102.3	125.7
1958	157	105.5	117.7
1957	158.9	109.3	120
1956	160.7	113.4	121.9
1955	162.9	117.8	124.8
1954	165.3	122.2	127.7
1953	168.5	126.4	130.1
1952	170.9	130.6	132.7
1951	173.7	134.5	136
1950	176.4	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	India	South Africa	World
2024	22.618.5–27.8	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	21.716.6–29.3	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	20.914.7–30.6	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	20.113.6–31.5	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	19.312.3–31.7	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	18.611.3–31.7	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	17.910.5–31.7	20.211–31.2	24
2031	17.39.7–31.7	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	16.69–31.1	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	168.6–31.1	199–31.8	22.8
2034	15.48–31.5	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	14.97.8–31.2	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	14.37.3–30.9	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	13.96.9–30.5	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	13.46.6–30.6	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	12.96.1–29.7	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	12.45.9–29.6	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	125.5–28.5	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	11.65.4–29.4	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	11.25.1–29.3	155.2–32.6	19
2044	10.84.8–28.7	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	10.54.7–28.5	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	10.14.4–29.3	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	9.94.3–27.8	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	9.64.3–27.8	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	9.34.1–27.7	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	9.13.9–26.6	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	8.83.7–26.3	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	8.63.6–25.6	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	8.33.4–25.6	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	8.23.4–24.7	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	83.3–25	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	7.83.2–24.5	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	7.63.1–24	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	7.43–24	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	7.22.8–22.2	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	72.8–22.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	6.92.7–22.8	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	6.72.7–22.3	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	6.62.6–22.6	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	6.42.6–22	8.22–28	14.5
2065	6.32.5–22.4	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	6.22.4–21.3	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	62.4–22	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	5.92.3–21	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	5.82.2–20.7	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	5.62.1–20.1	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	5.52.1–20.6	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	5.42.1–19.4	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	5.32–19.2	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	5.22–19.4	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	5.12–19.2	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	51.9–19.5	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	4.91.9–19	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	4.81.8–18.7	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	4.71.8–18.2	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	4.71.7–18	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	4.61.7–17.8	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	4.51.7–17.5	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	4.41.6–17.5	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	4.31.7–17.3	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	4.31.6–17.1	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	4.21.6–16.8	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	4.11.5–16.6	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	4.11.5–16.1	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	41.5–16.2	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	3.91.4–16.1	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	3.91.4–15.8	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	3.81.2–15.7	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	3.81.2–15.4	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	3.71.2–15.1	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	3.71.2–14.7	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	3.61.2–14.4	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	3.51.2–13.7	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	3.51.2–13.6	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	3.41.1–13.1	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	3.41.1–13	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

India vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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