Namibia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 27.2 per 1,000 live births in Namibia and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.7 per 1,000 live births, or 1.02 times that in Namibia.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

NamibiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Namibia.
In 2023, Namibia ranked 55 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Namibia at 7.9 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	Namibia	South Africa	World
2023	27.2	27.9	27.3
2022	27.9	30.1	28.2
2021	28.7	27.6	28.4
2020	29.5	21.8	28.7
2019	30.3	27.8	29.2
2018	31	26.1	29.7
2017	31.8	23.8	30.3
2016	32.5	26.2	31.1
2015	33.2	28	32.1
2014	33.8	29.2	32.9
2013	34.5	29.6	33.9
2012	35.2	27.6	35
2011	36.5	28.5	36.8
2010	37.2	35.4	37.7
2009	39.2	39.7	39.1
2008	40.9	45.4	40.4
2007	42.9	48.3	42
2006	45.2	49.6	43.7
2005	47.5	51.9	45.4
2004	49.4	51.2	47.2
2003	50.8	53.5	48.8
2002	51.8	51.9	50.6
2001	52.6	47.3	52.2
2000	52.7	45.8	53.7
1999	52.8	51.1	55.5
1998	52.5	49.8	57.1
1997	52	48.6	58.3
1996	51.3	47.6	59.6
1995	50.7	46.8	60.8
1994	50.2	46.2	62
1993	50	46.1	62.9
1992	50.2	46.2	64.1
1991	50.9	46.7	64.9
1990	52	47.5	64.9
1989	53.6	48.6	66.2
1988	55.5	49.9	68
1987	57.1	51.7	68.6
1986	59	53.4	70.8
1985	60.9	55.5	72.9
1984	62.7	57.7	74.6
1983	64.5	60	76.1
1982	66.3	62.5	76.6
1981	68	65.1	78.7
1980	69.7	67.5	80.6
1979	71.4	70	82.5
1978	73.1	72.3	84.7
1977	74.9	74.6	86.4
1976	76.8	76.7	88.1
1975	78.8	78.6	89.6
1974	80.8	80.4	90.9
1973	82.9	82.1	92.1
1972	85.1	83.8	93.6
1971	87.3	85.3	96.1
1970	89.6	86.7	96.9
1969	92	88	98.3
1968	94.3	89.1	100.2
1967	96.8	90.2	103.1
1966	99.3	91.3	104.9
1965	101.8	92.3	106.4
1964	104.4	93.3	106.1
1963	107.1	94.5	107.7
1962	109.8	95.9	110.2
1961	112.5	97.6	121.5
1960	115.2	99.7	131.8
1959	117.9	102.3	125.7
1958	120.6	105.5	117.7
1957	123.2	109.3	120
1956	125.7	113.4	121.9
1955	128.1	117.8	124.8
1954	130.5	122.2	127.7
1953	132.7	126.4	130.1
1952	134.9	130.6	132.7
1951	137.1	134.5	136
1950	139.2	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Namibia	South Africa	World
2024	26.821.7–31.4	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	26.319.3–33	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	25.917.7–34.3	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	25.516.3–35.3	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	25.114.8–36.2	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	24.813.7–38	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	24.412.9–37.9	20.211–31.2	24
2031	2412.3–38.6	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	23.711.4–39.8	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	23.310.9–40.2	199–31.8	22.8
2034	2310.3–41.2	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	22.69.5–41.4	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	22.29.2–41.4	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	21.88.9–41.3	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	21.48.5–41.4	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	218.4–41.3	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	20.77.9–42.5	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	20.47.7–43.1	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	207.3–42.6	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	19.77.2–42.6	155.2–32.6	19
2044	19.36.8–42.9	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	196.6–42.5	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	18.66.1–42.2	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	18.35.8–42.2	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	185.6–43	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	17.65.5–43.4	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	17.35.3–42.6	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	175.4–43.2	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	16.75.2–43.5	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	16.55.1–43.4	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	16.14.9–42.9	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	15.94.8–42.8	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	15.64.6–43.1	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	15.44.4–42.3	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	15.14.3–43.9	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	14.84.3–43	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	14.64.1–43	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	14.34–43	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	14.13.9–42.8	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	13.83.7–42	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	13.63.7–42.5	8.22–28	14.5
2065	13.33.6–41.9	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	133.5–41.6	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	12.83.4–42.2	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	12.63.4–42.3	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	12.33.3–42	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	12.13.2–41.1	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	11.93.2–41.5	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	11.73.1–41.6	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	11.53–42	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	11.33.1–42	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	11.23–42.9	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	113–43.1	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	10.93–44	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	10.72.9–44.2	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	10.62.8–42.1	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	10.42.8–43.3	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	10.32.8–44.5	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	10.12.8–44.3	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	9.92.7–43.7	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	9.82.7–43.5	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	9.72.7–43.8	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	9.52.6–43.2	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	9.32.5–42.5	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	9.22.5–41.9	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	9.12.5–41.5	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	8.92.4–41.4	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	8.82.4–41.1	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	8.72.4–41.9	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	8.62.5–42	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	8.52.4–41.8	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	8.42.4–42.5	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	8.32.4–42.7	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	8.22.4–42.8	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	8.12.4–43.9	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	82.3–43.2	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	7.92.3–43.6	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.

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Namibia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

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