Mexico vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in Mexico and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 17.5 per 1,000 live births, or 2.69 times that in Mexico.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

MexicoSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1966, when it overtook Mexico.
In 2023, Mexico ranked 121 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Mexico at 2.5 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	Mexico	South Africa	World
2023	10.4	27.9	27.3
2022	10.9	30.1	28.2
2021	11.1	27.6	28.4
2020	11.4	21.8	28.7
2019	11.8	27.8	29.2
2018	12.2	26.1	29.7
2017	12.6	23.8	30.3
2016	13.1	26.2	31.1
2015	13.5	28	32.1
2014	14	29.2	32.9
2013	14.4	29.6	33.9
2012	14.9	27.6	35
2011	15.4	28.5	36.8
2010	15.9	35.4	37.7
2009	16.4	39.7	39.1
2008	17	45.4	40.4
2007	17.6	48.3	42
2006	18.2	49.6	43.7
2005	18.9	51.9	45.4
2004	19.6	51.2	47.2
2003	20.4	53.5	48.8
2002	21.3	51.9	50.6
2001	22.2	47.3	52.2
2000	23.2	45.8	53.7
1999	24.2	51.1	55.5
1998	25.3	49.8	57.1
1997	26.5	48.6	58.3
1996	27.7	47.6	59.6
1995	29	46.8	60.8
1994	30.4	46.2	62
1993	31.8	46.1	62.9
1992	33.2	46.2	64.1
1991	34.8	46.7	64.9
1990	36.3	47.5	64.9
1989	38	48.6	66.2
1988	39.7	49.9	68
1987	41.4	51.7	68.6
1986	43.3	53.4	70.8
1985	45.2	55.5	72.9
1984	47.1	57.7	74.6
1983	49.2	60	76.1
1982	51.3	62.5	76.6
1981	53.4	65.1	78.7
1980	55.6	67.5	80.6
1979	57.9	70	82.5
1978	60.2	72.3	84.7
1977	62.5	74.6	86.4
1976	64.8	76.7	88.1
1975	67.2	78.6	89.6
1974	69.6	80.4	90.9
1973	72	82.1	92.1
1972	74.5	83.8	93.6
1971	77	85.3	96.1
1970	79.6	86.7	96.9
1969	82.2	88	98.3
1968	84.8	89.1	100.2
1967	87.4	90.2	103.1
1966	90.2	91.3	104.9
1965	93.1	92.3	106.4
1964	96	93.3	106.1
1963	99.2	94.5	107.7
1962	102.5	95.9	110.2
1961	106	97.6	121.5
1960	109.8	99.7	131.8
1959	113.8	102.3	125.7
1958	118	105.5	117.7
1957	122.4	109.3	120
1956	127	113.4	121.9
1955	131.8	117.8	124.8
1954	136.8	122.2	127.7
1953	141.9	126.4	130.1
1952	147.1	130.6	132.7
1951	152.2	134.5	136
1950	157.5	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Mexico	South Africa	World
2024	10.38.5–12.8	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	107.6–13.4	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	9.76.9–14	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	9.46.3–14.4	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	9.16–14.5	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	8.85.7–14.7	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	8.55.3–15	20.211–31.2	24
2031	8.25–14.6	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	84.7–14.9	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	7.74.6–15.1	199–31.8	22.8
2034	7.54.3–15	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	7.34.2–15.2	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	74–14.7	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	6.83.8–14.5	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	6.73.6–14.3	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	6.53.4–14.4	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	6.43.2–14.4	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	6.33.2–14.7	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	6.13.1–14.7	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	63–14.8	155.2–32.6	19
2044	5.92.9–14.9	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	5.82.9–14.9	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	5.62.8–14.6	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	5.52.7–14.3	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	5.42.6–14.4	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	5.32.5–14.2	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	5.22.4–13.9	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	5.12.3–14	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	52.3–13.5	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	4.92.3–13.3	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	4.82.2–13.4	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	4.72.1–13	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	4.62.1–13.2	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	4.52–12.8	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	4.41.9–12.8	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	4.32–12.8	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	4.21.9–13	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	4.21.9–13	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	4.11.8–12.7	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	41.7–12.2	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	41.7–12.4	8.22–28	14.5
2065	3.91.7–12.1	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	3.81.7–12	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	3.81.6–11.5	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	3.71.6–11.4	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	3.71.6–11.5	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	3.61.5–11.5	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	3.61.5–11.4	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	3.51.5–11.4	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	3.41.4–11.7	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	3.41.4–11.5	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	3.41.4–11.4	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	3.31.4–11.2	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	3.31.3–10.5	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	3.21.3–10.5	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	3.21.2–10.5	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	3.11.2–10.7	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	3.11.2–10.2	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	3.11.2–10.1	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	31.2–9.9	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	31.1–9.9	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	31.1–9.5	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	2.91.1–9.5	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	2.91–9.3	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	2.91–9.3	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	2.81–9.1	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	2.81–8.7	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	2.80.9–8.7	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	2.71–8.7	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	2.70.9–8.8	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	2.70.9–8.7	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	2.60.9–8.7	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	2.60.8–8.5	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	2.60.8–8.2	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	2.60.8–8.2	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	2.50.8–7.8	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	2.50.8–7.7	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

Mexico vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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