Iran vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in Iran and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 18 per 1,000 live births, or 2.82 times that in Iran.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

IranSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Iran.
In 2023, Iran ranked 123 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Iran at 1.7 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	Iran	South Africa	World
2023	9.9	27.9	27.3
2022	10.2	30.1	28.2
2021	10.6	27.6	28.4
2020	11	21.8	28.7
2019	11.4	27.8	29.2
2018	11.7	26.1	29.7
2017	12.2	23.8	30.3
2016	12.6	26.2	31.1
2015	13.1	28	32.1
2014	13.7	29.2	32.9
2013	14.3	29.6	33.9
2012	14.9	27.6	35
2011	15.6	28.5	36.8
2010	16.5	35.4	37.7
2009	17.4	39.7	39.1
2008	18.4	45.4	40.4
2007	19.6	48.3	42
2006	20.9	49.6	43.7
2005	22.3	51.9	45.4
2004	23.7	51.2	47.2
2003	26.2	53.5	48.8
2002	26.8	51.9	50.6
2001	28.5	47.3	52.2
2000	30	45.8	53.7
1999	31.6	51.1	55.5
1998	33.1	49.8	57.1
1997	34.8	48.6	58.3
1996	36.2	47.6	59.6
1995	37.7	46.8	60.8
1994	39.3	46.2	62
1993	41.1	46.1	62.9
1992	42.8	46.2	64.1
1991	44.7	46.7	64.9
1990	48.7	47.5	64.9
1989	49.2	48.6	66.2
1988	51.7	49.9	68
1987	54.6	51.7	68.6
1986	57.5	53.4	70.8
1985	60.7	55.5	72.9
1984	64.3	57.7	74.6
1983	68.3	60	76.1
1982	72.8	62.5	76.6
1981	77.9	65.1	78.7
1980	82.9	67.5	80.6
1979	88.4	70	82.5
1978	95.9	72.3	84.7
1977	99.8	74.6	86.4
1976	105.3	76.7	88.1
1975	110.8	78.6	89.6
1974	116.2	80.4	90.9
1973	121.5	82.1	92.1
1972	127.1	83.8	93.6
1971	131.8	85.3	96.1
1970	136.7	86.7	96.9
1969	141.4	88	98.3
1968	146.6	89.1	100.2
1967	149.9	90.2	103.1
1966	153.8	91.3	104.9
1965	157.4	92.3	106.4
1964	160.8	93.3	106.1
1963	164.2	94.5	107.7
1962	168.5	95.9	110.2
1961	170.7	97.6	121.5
1960	173.8	99.7	131.8
1959	176.9	102.3	125.7
1958	180	105.5	117.7
1957	183.5	109.3	120
1956	186.3	113.4	121.9
1955	188.7	117.8	124.8
1954	192.2	122.2	127.7
1953	194.5	126.4	130.1
1952	196.8	130.6	132.7
1951	199.4	134.5	136
1950	201.9	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Iran	South Africa	World
2024	9.17.6–11.2	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	8.86.7–11.8	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	8.56.1–12.4	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	8.25.5–12.5	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	7.95.1–12.3	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	7.74.8–12.5	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	7.44.5–12.7	20.211–31.2	24
2031	7.14.3–12.8	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	6.93.9–12.9	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	6.73.7–12.7	199–31.8	22.8
2034	6.43.5–12.8	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	6.23.3–12.4	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	63.1–12.6	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	5.82.9–12.6	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	5.72.8–12.7	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	5.52.7–12.4	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	5.32.6–12	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	5.22.5–11.9	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	52.3–11.8	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	4.82.2–11.7	155.2–32.6	19
2044	4.72.1–11.6	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	4.62.1–11.1	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	4.42–11.3	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	4.31.9–11	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	4.21.8–10.7	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	4.11.7–10.6	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	41.7–10.6	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	3.91.6–10.6	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	3.81.6–10.3	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	3.71.5–10.2	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	3.61.5–9.8	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	3.51.4–10.3	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	3.41.4–9.5	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	3.31.3–9.3	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	3.31.3–9.2	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	3.21.2–9.1	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	3.11.2–8.9	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	3.11.2–8.7	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	31.1–8.8	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	2.91.1–8.4	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	2.91.1–8.7	8.22–28	14.5
2065	2.81–8.5	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	2.81–8.3	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	2.71–8.1	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	2.71–8.2	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	2.61–8.2	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	2.60.9–7.6	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	2.50.9–7.6	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	2.50.9–7.5	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	2.40.9–7.3	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	2.40.9–7.2	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	2.40.9–7.3	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	2.30.8–7.4	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	2.30.8–7.2	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	2.30.8–6.9	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	2.20.8–6.9	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	2.20.8–6.8	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	2.20.7–6.6	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	2.20.7–6.5	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	2.10.7–6.3	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	2.10.7–6.3	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	2.10.6–6	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	20.7–6.1	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	20.7–6.1	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	20.6–5.9	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	20.6–6	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	1.90.6–6	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	1.90.6–6	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	1.90.6–6	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	1.90.6–5.8	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	1.90.6–5.7	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	1.80.6–5.6	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	1.80.5–5.5	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	1.80.5–5.5	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	1.80.5–5.5	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	1.80.5–5.4	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	1.70.5–5.3	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

Iran vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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