Ireland vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in Ireland and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 25 per 1,000 live births, or 9.72 times that in Ireland.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

IrelandSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Ireland ranked 206 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ireland at 0.5 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	Ireland	South Africa	World
2023	2.9	27.9	27.3
2022	2.9	30.1	28.2
2021	3.3	27.6	28.4
2020	2.8	21.8	28.7
2019	3.1	27.8	29.2
2018	2.8	26.1	29.7
2017	3	23.8	30.3
2016	3.1	26.2	31.1
2015	3.5	28	32.1
2014	3.4	29.2	32.9
2013	3.6	29.6	33.9
2012	3.3	27.6	35
2011	3.6	28.5	36.8
2010	3.7	35.4	37.7
2009	3.3	39.7	39.1
2008	3.9	45.4	40.4
2007	3.4	48.3	42
2006	4.1	49.6	43.7
2005	3.9	51.9	45.4
2004	4.7	51.2	47.2
2003	5.4	53.5	48.8
2002	5.4	51.9	50.6
2001	6	47.3	52.2
2000	6.2	45.8	53.7
1999	5.9	51.1	55.5
1998	6	49.8	57.1
1997	6.2	48.6	58.3
1996	6.2	47.6	59.6
1995	6.3	46.8	60.8
1994	5.7	46.2	62
1993	6	46.1	62.9
1992	6.3	46.2	64.1
1991	7.5	46.7	64.9
1990	8.2	47.5	64.9
1989	7.9	48.6	66.2
1988	8.5	49.9	68
1987	7.8	51.7	68.6
1986	8.9	53.4	70.8
1985	8.7	55.5	72.9
1984	9.5	57.7	74.6
1983	9.8	60	76.1
1982	10.4	62.5	76.6
1981	10.2	65.1	78.7
1980	11.1	67.5	80.6
1979	12.9	70	82.5
1978	14.8	72.3	84.7
1977	15.6	74.6	86.4
1976	15.5	76.7	88.1
1975	17.2	78.6	89.6
1974	17.7	80.4	90.9
1973	17.9	82.1	92.1
1972	18.1	83.8	93.6
1971	18.3	85.3	96.1
1970	19.5	86.7	96.9
1969	20.6	88	98.3
1968	20.8	89.1	100.2
1967	24	90.2	103.1
1966	24.2	91.3	104.9
1965	24.8	92.3	106.4
1964	26.6	93.3	106.1
1963	26.6	94.5	107.7
1962	29.1	95.9	110.2
1961	29.4	97.6	121.5
1960	28.7	99.7	131.8
1959	31.8	102.3	125.7
1958	34.6	105.5	117.7
1957	33.1	109.3	120
1956	35.2	113.4	121.9
1955	36.3	117.8	124.8
1954	37.6	122.2	127.7
1953	38.6	126.4	130.1
1952	41.7	130.6	132.7
1951	44.4	134.5	136
1950	44.3	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ireland	South Africa	World
2024	2.62.2–3.1	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	2.62–3.3	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	2.51.8–3.4	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	2.41.8–3.4	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	2.31.7–3.4	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	2.31.6–3.4	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	2.21.5–3.4	20.211–31.2	24
2031	2.11.4–3.5	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	2.11.4–3.5	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	21.3–3.4	199–31.8	22.8
2034	21.2–3.4	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	1.91.2–3.4	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	1.91.1–3.3	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	1.81.1–3.3	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	1.81–3.2	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	1.71–3.2	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	1.70.9–3.1	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	1.60.9–3.1	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	1.60.8–3.1	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	1.60.8–3.1	155.2–32.6	19
2044	1.50.8–3	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	1.50.7–3	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	1.50.7–2.9	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	1.40.7–2.9	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	1.40.6–2.9	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	1.40.6–3	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	1.40.6–2.9	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	1.30.6–2.8	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	1.30.6–2.8	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	1.30.5–2.8	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	1.20.5–2.7	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	1.20.5–2.8	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	1.20.5–2.7	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	1.20.5–2.7	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	1.10.4–2.6	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	1.10.4–2.6	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	1.10.4–2.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	1.10.4–2.6	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	10.4–2.6	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	10.3–2.7	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	10.3–2.6	8.22–28	14.5
2065	10.3–2.6	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	10.3–2.5	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	0.90.3–2.6	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	0.90.3–2.5	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	0.90.3–2.6	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	0.90.3–2.5	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	0.90.2–2.5	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	0.90.2–2.5	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	0.80.2–2.4	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	0.80.2–2.4	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	0.80.2–2.3	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	0.80.2–2.3	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	0.80.2–2.2	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	0.80.2–2.2	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	0.70.2–2.2	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	0.70.1–2.2	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	0.70.1–2.1	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	0.70.1–2.1	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	0.70.1–2.1	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	0.70.1–2.1	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	0.70.1–2	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	0.60.1–2	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	0.60.1–2	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	0.60.1–1.9	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	0.60.1–1.9	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	0.60.1–1.9	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	0.60.1–1.9	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	0.60.1–1.9	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	0.50.1–1.9	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	0.50–1.9	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	0.50–1.9	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	0.50–1.8	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	0.50–1.8	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	0.50–1.7	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	0.50–1.8	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	0.50–1.7	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

Ireland vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

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