Rwanda vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in Rwanda and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.3 per 1,000 live births, or 1.01 times that in Rwanda.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

RwandaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Rwanda.
In 2023, Rwanda ranked 53 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Rwanda at 6.8 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	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2023	27.5	27.9	27.3
2022	28.4	30.1	28.2
2021	29.2	27.6	28.4
2020	30.2	21.8	28.7
2019	31	27.8	29.2
2018	32	26.1	29.7
2017	33	23.8	30.3
2016	34.1	26.2	31.1
2015	35.3	28	32.1
2014	36.7	29.2	32.9
2013	38.4	29.6	33.9
2012	40.5	27.6	35
2011	43.1	28.5	36.8
2010	46.1	35.4	37.7
2009	49.8	39.7	39.1
2008	54	45.4	40.4
2007	59	48.3	42
2006	64.5	49.6	43.7
2005	70.7	51.9	45.4
2004	77.7	51.2	47.2
2003	85	53.5	48.8
2002	92.9	51.9	50.6
2001	100	47.3	52.2
2000	106.9	45.8	53.7
1999	112.8	51.1	55.5
1998	117.1	49.8	57.1
1997	121.1	48.6	58.3
1996	120.1	47.6	59.6
1995	120.5	46.8	60.8
1994	193	46.2	62
1993	110.7	46.1	62.9
1992	105.9	46.2	64.1
1991	101.5	46.7	64.9
1990	98.3	47.5	64.9
1989	96.2	48.6	66.2
1988	95.2	49.9	68
1987	95.6	51.7	68.6
1986	97.2	53.4	70.8
1985	99.6	55.5	72.9
1984	102.8	57.7	74.6
1983	106.9	60	76.1
1982	111.5	62.5	76.6
1981	116.6	65.1	78.7
1980	121.6	67.5	80.6
1979	126.1	70	82.5
1978	129.5	72.3	84.7
1977	131.5	74.6	86.4
1976	132.2	76.7	88.1
1975	131.8	78.6	89.6
1974	130.6	80.4	90.9
1973	129	82.1	92.1
1972	127.5	83.8	93.6
1971	125.9	85.3	96.1
1970	124.5	86.7	96.9
1969	123.3	88	98.3
1968	122.1	89.1	100.2
1967	121.1	90.2	103.1
1966	120.6	91.3	104.9
1965	120.2	92.3	106.4
1964	120.4	93.3	106.1
1963	122.8	94.5	107.7
1962	121.8	95.9	110.2
1961	123.2	97.6	121.5
1960	124.8	99.7	131.8
1959	126.6	102.3	125.7
1958	128.4	105.5	117.7
1957	130	109.3	120
1956	131.5	113.4	121.9
1955	132.9	117.8	124.8
1954	134.3	122.2	127.7
1953	135.6	126.4	130.1
1952	136.7	130.6	132.7
1951	137.7	134.5	136
1950	138.8	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2024	26.420.8–32.3	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	25.517.7–33.9	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	24.615.7–34.7	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	23.814.4–35.8	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	2312.5–36.9	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	22.311.7–37.3	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	21.510.7–38.3	20.211–31.2	24
2031	20.99.9–37.6	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	20.19.5–37.8	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	19.58.6–37.8	199–31.8	22.8
2034	18.98.1–38.5	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	18.37.5–38.5	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	17.87–38.1	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	17.36.5–37.9	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	16.86.2–37.8	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	16.36–37.7	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	15.85.8–38.1	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	15.35.5–37.6	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	14.95.3–37.9	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	14.55.2–37.4	155.2–32.6	19
2044	14.15–37.9	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	13.74.6–37.4	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	13.34.6–38.1	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	134.4–38.3	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	12.74.3–37.3	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	12.44.2–37.2	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	12.24.1–37.4	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	124.1–37.4	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	11.84–38.2	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	11.63.9–37.3	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	11.43.9–37.1	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	11.23.8–37.7	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	113.7–36.5	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	10.83.6–35.8	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	10.63.6–37.3	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	10.53.6–37.3	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	10.33.5–36.6	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	10.13.4–36.7	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	103.3–36.6	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	9.83.3–36.9	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	9.63.2–35.4	8.22–28	14.5
2065	9.53.3–35.6	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	9.43.2–36	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	9.33.1–35.8	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	9.13.1–34.9	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	93–34.2	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	8.93–35	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	8.83–35.2	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	8.72.9–34.4	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	8.62.9–34.1	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	8.52.9–34.1	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	8.42.9–33.9	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	8.32.7–32.6	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	8.22.7–32.9	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	8.12.7–32.3	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	82.7–32.9	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	7.92.7–32.6	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	7.82.6–32.3	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	7.82.6–33.6	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	7.72.5–33	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	7.72.6–33.4	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	7.62.6–32.4	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	7.62.5–33.2	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	7.52.5–33.2	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	7.42.5–32.3	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	7.42.5–31.5	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	7.32.5–32.2	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	7.32.5–31.4	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	7.22.4–31.4	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	7.22.4–31.3	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	7.12.3–32.2	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	7.12.3–32	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	72.3–31.8	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	72.3–31.7	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	6.92.3–31.8	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	6.92.3–32.3	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	6.82.3–31.4	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

Rwanda vs South Africa: Infant mortality

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Rwanda vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment