Nigeria vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in Nigeria and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 41.6 per 1,000 live births, or 2.49 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

NigeriaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Nigeria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Nigeria ranked 2 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Nigeria at 38.9 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	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2023	69.5	27.9	27.3
2022	71.2	30.1	28.2
2021	73	27.6	28.4
2020	74.7	21.8	28.7
2019	76.3	27.8	29.2
2018	77.8	26.1	29.7
2017	79.1	23.8	30.3
2016	80.2	26.2	31.1
2015	81.3	28	32.1
2014	82.3	29.2	32.9
2013	83.1	29.6	33.9
2012	84.1	27.6	35
2011	85.2	28.5	36.8
2010	86.5	35.4	37.7
2009	87.9	39.7	39.1
2008	89.5	45.4	40.4
2007	91.4	48.3	42
2006	93.5	49.6	43.7
2005	95.8	51.9	45.4
2004	98.2	51.2	47.2
2003	100.7	53.5	48.8
2002	103.1	51.9	50.6
2001	105.6	47.3	52.2
2000	107.8	45.8	53.7
1999	110.1	51.1	55.5
1998	112.1	49.8	57.1
1997	113.8	48.6	58.3
1996	115.3	47.6	59.6
1995	116.5	46.8	60.8
1994	117.5	46.2	62
1993	118.2	46.1	62.9
1992	118.7	46.2	64.1
1991	119.2	46.7	64.9
1990	119.2	47.5	64.9
1989	119.3	48.6	66.2
1988	119.3	49.9	68
1987	119.1	51.7	68.6
1986	119	53.4	70.8
1985	118.8	55.5	72.9
1984	118.9	57.7	74.6
1983	119	60	76.1
1982	119.6	62.5	76.6
1981	120.4	65.1	78.7
1980	121.8	67.5	80.6
1979	123.2	70	82.5
1978	125.1	72.3	84.7
1977	127.4	74.6	86.4
1976	129.8	76.7	88.1
1975	134.6	78.6	89.6
1974	136.9	80.4	90.9
1973	139.2	82.1	92.1
1972	141.2	83.8	93.6
1971	143.4	85.3	96.1
1970	145.1	86.7	96.9
1969	146.7	88	98.3
1968	148	89.1	100.2
1967	151.5	90.2	103.1
1966	151	91.3	104.9
1965	151.7	92.3	106.4
1964	152.5	93.3	106.1
1963	153.3	94.5	107.7
1962	154.1	95.9	110.2
1961	154.9	97.6	121.5
1960	155.7	99.7	131.8
1959	156.5	102.3	125.7
1958	157.2	105.5	117.7
1957	157.9	109.3	120
1956	158.6	113.4	121.9
1955	159.3	117.8	124.8
1954	159.9	122.2	127.7
1953	160.6	126.4	130.1
1952	161.3	130.6	132.7
1951	162	134.5	136
1950	162.6	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2024	68.560.6–78.7	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	67.756.4–82	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	66.953.6–84.8	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	66.251.4–87.7	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	65.449.2–88.4	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	64.747.2–89.2	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	64.345.8–91.2	20.211–31.2	24
2031	63.743.8–93.3	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	63.142.6–94.6	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	62.640.8–95.6	199–31.8	22.8
2034	6239.7–97	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	61.638.2–97.9	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	61.137–99.6	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	60.636.3–99.9	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	60.136.2–99.8	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	59.534.2–100.9	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	5933.3–99.2	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	58.632.6–100.4	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	5831.7–99.5	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	57.530.5–101.1	155.2–32.6	19
2044	57.128.8–100.5	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	56.627.9–101.5	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	56.227.2–101.4	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	55.726.1–101.5	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	55.225.8–101.9	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	54.825–101	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	54.423.8–102	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	53.923–104.6	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	53.521.9–105	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	53.121.4–104.9	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	52.621.8–106.2	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	52.320.7–105.3	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	51.919.8–106.3	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	51.618.7–106.2	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	51.218.2–107.5	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	50.818.1–109.7	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	50.418.4–110.8	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	50.118.2–110.5	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	49.717.6–110.2	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	49.417.6–110.6	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	4917.2–108.2	8.22–28	14.5
2065	48.716.3–108.3	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	48.416–109.3	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	48.115.1–106.5	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	47.714.9–108.8	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	47.414.5–108.1	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	47.114–109.2	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	46.814.1–109	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	46.413.1–110.9	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	46.113.5–111.7	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	45.812.7–111.7	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	45.512.4–111.6	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	45.112.4–110.3	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	44.912.2–113	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	44.611.9–114.4	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	44.311.2–113.3	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	4411.4–114.5	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	43.711.1–111.9	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	43.411–112.8	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	43.110.7–111.4	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	42.810.7–112.4	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	42.610.5–108.6	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	42.410.6–112.4	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	42.110.6–112.3	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	41.810.3–110.4	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	41.510.2–110.2	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	41.310.1–109.2	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	4110.2–110.2	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	40.810.1–111.2	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	40.59.7–111.1	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	40.29.5–109	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	409.7–110.2	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	39.89.4–109.6	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	39.59.1–111	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	39.38.8–109.4	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	39.18.8–109.8	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	38.98.7–108.1	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

Nigeria vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

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