Nigeria vs South Africa

Nigeria vs South Africa: Child mortality

Child mortality in 2024: 11.6 per 100 live births in Nigeria and 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 8.1 per 100 live births, or 3.29 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

Nigeria vs South Africa: Child mortalityChild mortality in 2024: 11.6 per 100 live births in Nigeria and 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 8.1 per 100 live births, or 3.29 times that in South Africa.
NigeriaSouth AfricaWorld

What the numbers say

  • Nigeria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1974.
  • In 2024, Nigeria ranked 1 and South Africa ranked 53 of 200 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024.

Every year

deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME

YearNigeriaSouth AfricaWorld
202411.63.53.7
202311.73.53.8
202211.83.44
202111.83.44
202011.73.43.9
201911.73.44
201811.73.54
201711.73.64.1
201611.73.74.2
201511.83.84.3
201411.944.4
2013124.14.5
201212.24.34.7
201112.44.65
201012.655.1
200912.95.75.3
200813.36.45.5
200713.77.15.7
200614.17.76
200514.686.2
200415.18.16.6
200315.77.96.8
200216.47.77.1
200117.17.57.4
200017.77.17.7
199918.46.97.9
199818.96.68.3
199719.46.38.4
199619.86.18.6
199520.15.98.8
199420.35.88.9
199320.55.79.1
199220.65.69.2
199120.75.79.3
199020.85.89.4
198920.869.5
198820.86.310
198720.86.69.9
198620.86.910.3
198520.77.210.6
198420.77.610.9
198320.7811.1
198220.88.411.2
1981218.911.6
198021.39.411.9
197921.79.911.9
197822.310.512.3
197722.911.112.6
197623.611.812.8
197524.312.513.1
197425.213.213.3
197326–13.5
197226.8–13.7
197127.6–13.9
197038.7–14.2
196939.7–14.6
196840.7–15
196730.5–15.3
196631.2–15.1
196531.9–15.1
196432.6–15.7
196331.1–16.2
196231.3–17
1961––18.8
1960––20.2
1959––19.9
1958––19.7
1957––20.5
1956––21.3
1955––22.3
1954––22.8
1953––23.3
1952––23.9
1951––24.3
1950––24.7
1949––24.9
1948––24.9
1947––25.5
1946––25.8
1945––26.7
1944––27.4
1943––27.7
1942––27.9
1941––27.8
1940––27.9
1939––28
1938––28.7
1937––28.8
1936––29.1
1935––29.5
1934––30.7
1933––30.5
1932––30.7
1931––31.4
1930––31.6
1929––32
1928––31.9
1927––31.9
1926––32.7
1925––32.4
1924––33.1
1923––33.1
1922––33.2
1921––34.2
1920––34.4
1919––35.7
1918––37.6
1917––35.3
1916––35.1
1915––35.3
1914––35.4
1913––35.1
1912––35.5
1911––36
1910––36.4
1909––36.6
1908––37.2
1907––37.4
1906––38.1
1905––38.8
1904––38.9
1903––39.5
1902––40.1
1901––40.8
1900––40.9
1899––40.8
1898––41.2
1897––41
1896––41.1
1895––41.3
1894––41.2
1893––41.2
1892––41.7
1891––41.3
1890––41.5
1889––41.2
1888––41
1887––41.1
1886––41.1
1885––41.2
1884––41.1
1883––41.4
1882––41.5
1881––41.1
1880––41.6
1879––41.1
1878––41.6
1877––41.2
1876––41.4
1875––41.5
1874––41.7
1873––41.8
1872––42.1
1871––42.2
1870––41.9
1869––42.1
1868––42.4
1867––42
1866––42.1
1865––42.3
1864––42.2
1863––42.5
1862––42.6
1861––42.9
1860––42.9
1859––43.7
1858––43.8
1857––44.2
1856––44.2
1855––44
1854––43.7
1853––43.2
1852––42.9
1851––42.4
1850––42
1849––42.3
1848––42.3
1847––42.2
1846––42.4
1845––42
1844––42.1
1843––42.1
1842––42.2
1841––42.1
1840––42.1
1839––42.1
1838––42.2
1837––42.2
1836––42.2
1835––42.2
1834––42.3
1833––42.2
1832––42.2
1831––42.2
1830––42.2
1829––42.1
1828––42.1
1827––42.1
1826––42.1
1825––42.1
1824––42.1
1823––42.1
1822––42.1
1821––42.1
1820––42.1
1819––42.2
1818––42.2
1817––42.2
1816––42.2
1815––42.2
1814––42.3
1813––42.3
1812––42.4
1811––42.4
1810––42.5
1809––42.5
1808––42.5
1807––42.5
1806––42.6
1805––42.6
1804––42.6
1803––42.6
1802––42.7
1801––42.7
1800––42.8

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • The share of children who die before their fifth birthday.
  • Source: Gapminder (2015) and UN IGME (2025), via Our World in Data.
  • Ranks count the 200 countries with a value in 2024, 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

Nigeria vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment