Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in Saudi Arabia and 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 22.8 per 1,000 live births, or 5.51 times that in Saudi Arabia.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

Saudi ArabiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1982, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia ranked 171 and South Africa ranked 51 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Saudi Arabia at 1 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	Saudi Arabia	South Africa	World
2023	5.1	27.9	27.3
2022	5.3	30.1	28.2
2021	5.5	27.6	28.4
2020	5.8	21.8	28.7
2019	6.1	27.8	29.2
2018	6.4	26.1	29.7
2017	6.7	23.8	30.3
2016	7.1	26.2	31.1
2015	7.5	28	32.1
2014	7.9	29.2	32.9
2013	8.4	29.6	33.9
2012	8.9	27.6	35
2011	9.5	28.5	36.8
2010	10.1	35.4	37.7
2009	10.8	39.7	39.1
2008	11.4	45.4	40.4
2007	12.1	48.3	42
2006	12.8	49.6	43.7
2005	13.6	51.9	45.4
2004	14.4	51.2	47.2
2003	15.2	53.5	48.8
2002	16.1	51.9	50.6
2001	17.1	47.3	52.2
2000	18.2	45.8	53.7
1999	19.3	51.1	55.5
1998	20.5	49.8	57.1
1997	21.8	48.6	58.3
1996	23.3	47.6	59.6
1995	24.9	46.8	60.8
1994	26.6	46.2	62
1993	28.5	46.1	62.9
1992	30.6	46.2	64.1
1991	32.9	46.7	64.9
1990	35.3	47.5	64.9
1989	37.9	48.6	66.2
1988	40.7	49.9	68
1987	43.7	51.7	68.6
1986	46.9	53.4	70.8
1985	50.3	55.5	72.9
1984	53.7	57.7	74.6
1983	57.4	60	76.1
1982	61.2	62.5	76.6
1981	65.2	65.1	78.7
1980	69.3	67.5	80.6
1979	73.7	70	82.5
1978	78.3	72.3	84.7
1977	83	74.6	86.4
1976	87.9	76.7	88.1
1975	92.9	78.6	89.6
1974	98.2	80.4	90.9
1973	103.5	82.1	92.1
1972	108.9	83.8	93.6
1971	114.2	85.3	96.1
1970	119.4	86.7	96.9
1969	124.5	88	98.3
1968	129.2	89.1	100.2
1967	133.7	90.2	103.1
1966	137.8	91.3	104.9
1965	141.6	92.3	106.4
1964	145.1	93.3	106.1
1963	148.4	94.5	107.7
1962	151.5	95.9	110.2
1961	154.4	97.6	121.5
1960	157.2	99.7	131.8
1959	159.9	102.3	125.7
1958	162.6	105.5	117.7
1957	165.1	109.3	120
1956	167.7	113.4	121.9
1955	170.2	117.8	124.8
1954	172.6	122.2	127.7
1953	175.1	126.4	130.1
1952	177.5	130.6	132.7
1951	179.9	134.5	136
1950	182.3	138.5	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Saudi Arabia	South Africa	World
2024	65.1–7.3	22.918.8–26.8	26.9
2025	5.84.6–7.6	22.416.7–28.1	26.4
2026	5.64.3–7.8	21.915.4–28.6	25.9
2027	5.53.9–7.8	21.514.1–29.7	25.4
2028	5.33.6–7.8	2112.8–30.1	24.9
2029	5.13.3–7.9	20.611.9–30.8	24.5
2030	4.93.1–7.9	20.211–31.2	24
2031	4.73–8	19.810.4–31.1	23.6
2032	4.62.7–8.1	19.49.5–31.7	23.2
2033	4.42.5–7.8	199–31.8	22.8
2034	4.32.4–7.9	18.68.4–32.1	22.3
2035	4.12.3–7.7	18.27.7–32.2	21.9
2036	42.2–7.7	17.97.5–32.9	21.5
2037	3.92–7.5	17.57.1–32.9	21.1
2038	3.71.9–7.5	17.17.1–33.5	20.8
2039	3.61.9–7.4	16.76.3–32.5	20.4
2040	3.51.8–7.3	16.26.2–32.5	20
2041	3.41.7–7.1	15.85.7–33.3	19.7
2042	3.31.6–7.2	15.45.4–33.1	19.4
2043	3.21.6–6.9	155.2–32.6	19
2044	3.11.5–7	14.64.9–32.4	18.7
2045	31.4–7	14.24.7–31.8	18.4
2046	2.91.4–7	13.84.4–31.8	18.2
2047	2.91.3–6.9	13.44.2–32.4	17.9
2048	2.81.3–6.8	13.14.1–33.1	17.7
2049	2.71.2–6.9	12.73.9–32.8	17.5
2050	2.61.2–6.7	12.43.7–31.4	17.3
2051	2.61.1–6.4	123.4–31.1	17.1
2052	2.51.1–6.3	11.73.4–31.2	16.9
2053	2.51.1–6.2	11.43.1–31.4	16.7
2054	2.41.1–5.9	11.13–31.2	16.5
2055	2.31–5.6	10.82.9–30.8	16.3
2056	2.31–5.7	10.52.7–30.7	16.1
2057	2.20.9–5.6	10.12.6–30.7	15.9
2058	2.20.9–5.5	9.82.5–30.4	15.7
2059	2.10.8–5.4	9.62.4–30.5	15.5
2060	2.10.8–5.2	9.32.3–29.9	15.3
2061	20.8–5.3	92.2–29.9	15.1
2062	20.8–5.3	8.72.1–29.4	14.9
2063	1.90.7–5.1	8.52.1–28.9	14.7
2064	1.90.7–4.9	8.22–28	14.5
2065	1.90.7–4.9	81.9–28.1	14.3
2066	1.80.7–4.8	7.81.9–27.5	14.1
2067	1.80.7–4.7	7.51.7–28	13.9
2068	1.80.6–4.7	7.31.7–27.5	13.8
2069	1.70.6–4.5	71.6–27.1	13.6
2070	1.70.6–4.3	6.81.5–27	13.4
2071	1.70.6–4.3	6.61.4–27.3	13.2
2072	1.60.6–4.3	6.41.4–26.7	13
2073	1.60.6–4.4	6.21.3–26.2	12.9
2074	1.60.5–4.1	61.3–26.2	12.7
2075	1.60.5–4.2	5.91.3–25.3	12.6
2076	1.50.5–4.1	5.71.2–25.6	12.4
2077	1.50.5–4	5.61.2–25.7	12.3
2078	1.50.5–3.9	5.41.2–25.4	12.1
2079	1.40.5–3.9	5.31.1–24.4	12
2080	1.40.4–3.9	5.21.1–24.9	11.8
2081	1.40.4–3.8	51.1–24.9	11.7
2082	1.40.4–3.7	4.91–24.9	11.6
2083	1.30.4–3.6	4.81–24.5	11.5
2084	1.30.4–3.5	4.71–24.5	11.4
2085	1.30.4–3.6	4.51–24.4	11.3
2086	1.30.4–3.5	4.41–24.4	11.1
2087	1.30.4–3.6	4.30.9–23.8	11
2088	1.20.3–3.5	4.20.9–24.3	10.9
2089	1.20.3–3.5	4.10.9–24.3	10.8
2090	1.20.3–3.4	40.8–23.1	10.7
2091	1.20.3–3.4	3.90.8–23.3	10.6
2092	1.20.3–3.3	3.80.8–23	10.5
2093	1.20.3–3.3	3.60.8–22.6	10.4
2094	1.10.3–3.2	3.50.7–22.6	10.3
2095	1.10.3–3.2	3.40.7–21.8	10.1
2096	1.10.2–3.2	3.40.7–22.5	10
2097	1.10.2–3.1	3.30.7–22.2	9.9
2098	1.10.2–3.2	3.20.7–22.2	9.8
2099	1.10.2–3	3.10.6–22.3	9.7
2100	10.2–3.1	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