Kenya vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in Kenya and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Kenya, by 1.8 per 1,000 live births, or 1.06 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

KenyaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Kenya has been higher since 2009, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Kenya ranked 44 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Kenya at 12.5 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	Kenya	South Africa	World
2023	29.7	27.9	27.3
2022	30.2	30.1	28.2
2021	31.1	27.6	28.4
2020	31.4	21.8	28.7
2019	31.9	27.8	29.2
2018	32.5	26.1	29.7
2017	33.2	23.8	30.3
2016	33.9	26.2	31.1
2015	34.6	28	32.1
2014	35.3	29.2	32.9
2013	36.1	29.6	33.9
2012	36.9	27.6	35
2011	37.9	28.5	36.8
2010	39.1	35.4	37.7
2009	40.5	39.7	39.1
2008	42.4	45.4	40.4
2007	44.5	48.3	42
2006	47	49.6	43.7
2005	49.6	51.9	45.4
2004	52.4	51.2	47.2
2003	55.2	53.5	48.8
2002	58.1	51.9	50.6
2001	60.8	47.3	52.2
2000	63.3	45.8	53.7
1999	65.6	51.1	55.5
1998	67.6	49.8	57.1
1997	69	48.6	58.3
1996	69.9	47.6	59.6
1995	70.4	46.8	60.8
1994	70.5	46.2	62
1993	70.1	46.1	62.9
1992	69.2	46.2	64.1
1991	68.2	46.7	64.9
1990	67	47.5	64.9
1989	65.9	48.6	66.2
1988	65.1	49.9	68
1987	64.6	51.7	68.6
1986	64.5	53.4	70.8
1985	64.8	55.5	72.9
1984	65.5	57.7	74.6
1983	66.7	60	76.1
1982	68.1	62.5	76.6
1981	69.8	65.1	78.7
1980	71.7	67.5	80.6
1979	73.7	70	82.5
1978	76	72.3	84.7
1977	78.3	74.6	86.4
1976	80.5	76.7	88.1
1975	82.6	78.6	89.6
1974	84.7	80.4	90.9
1973	86.7	82.1	92.1
1972	88.6	83.8	93.6
1971	90.3	85.3	96.1
1970	92	86.7	96.9
1969	93.6	88	98.3
1968	95.1	89.1	100.2
1967	96.6	90.2	103.1
1966	98.2	91.3	104.9
1965	99.9	92.3	106.4
1964	101.8	93.3	106.1
1963	104	94.5	107.7
1962	106.6	95.9	110.2
1961	109.6	97.6	121.5
1960	112.9	99.7	131.8
1959	116.5	102.3	125.7
1958	120.5	105.5	117.7
1957	124.7	109.3	120
1956	129.2	113.4	121.9
1955	133.6	117.8	124.8
1954	138	122.2	127.7
1953	142.2	126.4	130.1
1952	146.3	130.6	132.7
1951	150.2	134.5	136
1950	154.2	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Kenya	South Africa	World
2024	2924.4–33.7	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	28.622.2–35.7	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	28.220.4–36.5	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	27.819–37.3	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	27.417.7–37.9	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	2716.7–39.3	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	26.615.7–39.5	20.211–31.2	24
2031	26.214.6–40.1	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	25.913.7–40.8	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	25.512.8–40.6	199–31.8	22.8
2034	25.212.6–40.9	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	24.911.6–41.5	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	24.611.1–41.7	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	24.310.8–42.3	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	23.910.3–41.8	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	23.710–42.5	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	23.49.5–41	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	23.19.1–42	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	22.89.1–42.3	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	22.68.5–42.5	155.2–32.6	19
2044	22.38.3–43.4	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	22.18–43.8	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	21.97.8–43.5	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	21.67.5–43	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	21.37.4–43	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	217.3–42.7	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	20.77.2–42.4	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	20.57–42.2	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	20.26.9–42.2	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	206.9–42.1	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	19.76.7–42.1	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	19.56.8–43.2	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	19.26.7–42.6	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	196.8–42.9	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	18.86.6–42.5	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	18.56.5–43.8	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	18.36.5–44.1	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	18.16.4–43.8	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	17.96.3–44	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	17.76.2–43.3	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	17.56–43.1	8.22–28	14.5
2065	17.35.8–42.5	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	17.15.8–42.9	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	16.95.7–42.7	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	16.75.6–42.1	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	16.55.5–42.3	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	16.45.6–43.6	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	16.25.5–42.4	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	165.5–41.2	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	15.95.4–40.9	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	15.75.1–40.7	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	15.65.2–41	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	15.45.2–40.6	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	15.35.1–41.3	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	15.14.9–41.2	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	155–41.8	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	14.84.8–40.5	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	14.74.7–40.4	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	14.54.7–40.8	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	14.44.6–40.7	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	14.24.6–40.3	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	14.14.5–40.7	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	144.5–39.8	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	13.84.4–39.6	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	13.74.3–39.8	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	13.64.2–39.4	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	13.54.2–39.6	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	13.44.2–39.3	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	13.34.1–38.7	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	13.24.1–39.4	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	13.14–40	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	134–38.9	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	12.93.9–39.7	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	12.83.9–39.4	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	12.73.9–39.5	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	12.63.8–39.3	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	12.53.7–38.2	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

Kenya vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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