Malawi vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in Malawi and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Malawi, by 1.7 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

MalawiSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Malawi has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Malawi ranked 45 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Malawi at 8.3 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	Malawi	South Africa	World
2023	29.6	27.9	27.3
2022	30.6	30.1	28.2
2021	31.6	27.6	28.4
2020	32.9	21.8	28.7
2019	34.3	27.8	29.2
2018	35.9	26.1	29.7
2017	37.7	23.8	30.3
2016	39.8	26.2	31.1
2015	42.2	28	32.1
2014	44.7	29.2	32.9
2013	47.7	29.6	33.9
2012	50.9	27.6	35
2011	54.3	28.5	36.8
2010	57.8	35.4	37.7
2009	61.2	39.7	39.1
2008	64.6	45.4	40.4
2007	68.1	48.3	42
2006	72.1	49.6	43.7
2005	76.6	51.9	45.4
2004	81.8	51.2	47.2
2003	87.5	53.5	48.8
2002	94	51.9	50.6
2001	99.6	47.3	52.2
2000	105.2	45.8	53.7
1999	110.3	51.1	55.5
1998	114.3	49.8	57.1
1997	117.8	48.6	58.3
1996	120.7	47.6	59.6
1995	123.5	46.8	60.8
1994	126.1	46.2	62
1993	128.9	46.1	62.9
1992	131.5	46.2	64.1
1991	134.5	46.7	64.9
1990	136.5	47.5	64.9
1989	138.3	48.6	66.2
1988	139.7	49.9	68
1987	140.4	51.7	68.6
1986	140.6	53.4	70.8
1985	140.4	55.5	72.9
1984	140.3	57.7	74.6
1983	140.3	60	76.1
1982	140.8	62.5	76.6
1981	142	65.1	78.7
1980	144	67.5	80.6
1979	146.6	70	82.5
1978	149.5	72.3	84.7
1977	152.7	74.6	86.4
1976	155.9	76.7	88.1
1975	158.9	78.6	89.6
1974	161.6	80.4	90.9
1973	164.1	82.1	92.1
1972	166.2	83.8	93.6
1971	168.1	85.3	96.1
1970	170.1	86.7	96.9
1969	171.3	88	98.3
1968	172.2	89.1	100.2
1967	173	90.2	103.1
1966	173.7	91.3	104.9
1965	174.3	92.3	106.4
1964	174.9	93.3	106.1
1963	175.4	94.5	107.7
1962	175.9	95.9	110.2
1961	176.3	97.6	121.5
1960	176.8	99.7	131.8
1959	177.4	102.3	125.7
1958	178.1	105.5	117.7
1957	178.8	109.3	120
1956	179.4	113.4	121.9
1955	180.1	117.8	124.8
1954	180.7	122.2	127.7
1953	181.3	126.4	130.1
1952	181.8	130.6	132.7
1951	182.3	134.5	136
1950	182.7	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Malawi	South Africa	World
2024	28.822.8–34.5	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	28.220.5–36.4	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	27.618.5–37.7	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	2716.5–38.5	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	26.415.7–40	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	25.714.2–40.7	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	2513.3–40.5	20.211–31.2	24
2031	24.412.1–41.2	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	23.811.4–41.8	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	23.210.4–42.1	199–31.8	22.8
2034	22.69.9–42.2	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	22.19.4–42.5	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	21.68.8–42.5	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	218.2–41.8	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	20.57.9–42.4	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	207.5–42.3	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	19.57.2–42.4	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	19.16.8–43.2	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	18.76.5–42.6	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	18.26.5–43.7	155.2–32.6	19
2044	17.86.1–44.3	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	17.55.9–42.1	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	17.15.7–43.1	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	16.75.6–42.7	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	16.35.3–42.9	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	165.1–42	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	15.64.9–42.2	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	15.34.9–42.8	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	15.14.7–41.4	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	14.74.6–41.9	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	14.44.4–40.8	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	14.24.4–40.8	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	13.94.3–40.9	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	13.64.2–40.7	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	13.44.1–40.9	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	13.14.1–40.8	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	12.94–40.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	12.63.9–40	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	12.43.8–40	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	12.23.8–39.6	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	12.13.6–39.6	8.22–28	14.5
2065	11.93.6–40.1	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	11.83.6–39.6	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	11.63.5–39.5	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	11.43.5–40.2	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	11.33.5–41	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	11.23.4–40.1	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	113.4–40.8	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	10.93.5–40.5	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	10.83.5–40.3	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	10.63.4–40.4	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	10.53.3–40.2	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	10.43.3–40.5	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	10.23.3–40.7	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	10.13.3–40.4	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	103.2–40.7	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	9.93.2–38.8	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	9.83.1–39.1	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	9.73.1–38.4	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	9.63–38.7	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	9.52.9–37.7	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	9.42.9–37.6	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	9.33.1–38.7	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	9.22.9–37.6	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	9.12.9–37.5	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	92.8–37.6	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	8.92.8–38.1	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	8.82.8–37.6	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	8.82.7–36.6	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	8.72.8–37.4	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	8.62.8–36.7	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	8.52.7–36.5	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	8.52.7–35.7	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	8.42.7–36.1	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	8.42.7–36.1	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	8.32.6–35.9	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	8.32.6–35.8	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

Malawi vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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