South Africa vs United States: Infant mortality

Infant mortality in 2023: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in South Africa and 5.3 per 1,000 live births in United States, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 22.6 per 1,000 live births, or 5.27 times that in United States.

Watch it change on the map

deaths per 1,000 live births · UN

South AfricaUnited StatesUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, South Africa ranked 51 and United States ranked 164 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts South Africa at 3 per 1,000 live births and United States at 1 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	South Africa	United States	World
2023	27.9	5.3	27.3
2022	30.1	5.4	28.2
2021	27.6	5.5	28.4
2020	21.8	5.3	28.7
2019	27.8	5.5	29.2
2018	26.1	5.6	29.7
2017	23.8	5.7	30.3
2016	26.2	5.8	31.1
2015	28	5.9	32.1
2014	29.2	5.8	32.9
2013	29.6	5.9	33.9
2012	27.6	6	35
2011	28.5	6	36.8
2010	35.4	6.2	37.7
2009	39.7	6.5	39.1
2008	45.4	6.8	40.4
2007	48.3	7	42
2006	49.6	7	43.7
2005	51.9	7	45.4
2004	51.2	6.9	47.2
2003	53.5	7	48.8
2002	51.9	7	50.6
2001	47.3	6.9	52.2
2000	45.8	7.2	53.7
1999	51.1	7.3	55.5
1998	49.8	7.5	57.1
1997	48.6	7.4	58.3
1996	47.6	7.6	59.6
1995	46.8	7.8	60.8
1994	46.2	8.2	62
1993	46.1	8.5	62.9
1992	46.2	8.7	64.1
1991	46.7	9.2	64.9
1990	47.5	9.7	64.9
1989	48.6	10.3	66.2
1988	49.9	10.2	68
1987	51.7	10.3	68.6
1986	53.4	10.4	70.8
1985	55.5	10.8	72.9
1984	57.7	10.9	74.6
1983	60	11.1	76.1
1982	62.5	11.5	76.6
1981	65.1	11.9	78.7
1980	67.5	12.7	80.6
1979	70	13.1	82.5
1978	72.3	13.6	84.7
1977	74.6	14.2	86.4
1976	76.7	15.1	88.1
1975	78.6	15.9	89.6
1974	80.4	16.8	90.9
1973	82.1	17.3	92.1
1972	83.8	17.8	93.6
1971	85.3	18.8	96.1
1970	86.7	20.9	96.9
1969	88	21.4	98.3
1968	89.1	22.1	100.2
1967	90.2	22.3	103.1
1966	91.3	23.4	104.9
1965	92.3	24.1	106.4
1964	93.3	24.8	106.1
1963	94.5	25.1	107.7
1962	95.9	25.2	110.2
1961	97.6	25.4	121.5
1960	99.7	26.4	131.8
1959	102.3	26.7	125.7
1958	105.5	27.4	117.7
1957	109.3	27.4	120
1956	113.4	27.3	121.9
1955	117.8	27.8	124.8
1954	122.2	28.5	127.7
1953	126.4	29.9	130.1
1952	130.6	31.2	132.7
1951	134.5	31.4	136
1950	138.5	31.7	138.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	South Africa	United States	World
2024	22.918.8–26.8	4.94.1–5.9	26.9
2025	22.416.7–28.1	4.83.7–6.2	26.4
2026	21.915.4–28.6	4.73.4–6.4	25.9
2027	21.514.1–29.7	4.53.3–6.6	25.4
2028	2112.8–30.1	4.43.1–6.7	24.9
2029	20.611.9–30.8	4.32.9–6.9	24.5
2030	20.211–31.2	4.12.7–6.9	24
2031	19.810.4–31.1	42.6–7	23.6
2032	19.49.5–31.7	3.92.4–7	23.2
2033	199–31.8	3.82.4–7.1	22.8
2034	18.68.4–32.1	3.72.2–7.1	22.3
2035	18.27.7–32.2	3.62.1–7.1	21.9
2036	17.97.5–32.9	3.52–7	21.5
2037	17.57.1–32.9	3.42–7.2	21.1
2038	17.17.1–33.5	3.31.9–7.2	20.8
2039	16.76.3–32.5	3.31.8–7.1	20.4
2040	16.26.2–32.5	3.21.8–7.1	20
2041	15.85.7–33.3	3.11.7–7.1	19.7
2042	15.45.4–33.1	31.7–7	19.4
2043	155.2–32.6	31.6–7	19
2044	14.64.9–32.4	2.91.5–7	18.7
2045	14.24.7–31.8	2.81.5–6.7	18.4
2046	13.84.4–31.8	2.71.4–6.7	18.2
2047	13.44.2–32.4	2.71.4–6.6	17.9
2048	13.14.1–33.1	2.61.4–6.5	17.7
2049	12.73.9–32.8	2.61.3–6.5	17.5
2050	12.43.7–31.4	2.51.3–6.4	17.3
2051	123.4–31.1	2.41.2–6.3	17.1
2052	11.73.4–31.2	2.41.2–6.2	16.9
2053	11.43.1–31.4	2.31.2–6.2	16.7
2054	11.13–31.2	2.31.1–6.1	16.5
2055	10.82.9–30.8	2.21.1–6	16.3
2056	10.52.7–30.7	2.21–6	16.1
2057	10.12.6–30.7	2.11–5.8	15.9
2058	9.82.5–30.4	2.10.9–5.6	15.7
2059	9.62.4–30.5	2.10.9–5.7	15.5
2060	9.32.3–29.9	20.9–5.5	15.3
2061	92.2–29.9	20.9–5.6	15.1
2062	8.72.1–29.4	1.90.9–5.5	14.9
2063	8.52.1–28.9	1.90.8–5.4	14.7
2064	8.22–28	1.90.8–5.4	14.5
2065	81.9–28.1	1.80.8–5.4	14.3
2066	7.81.9–27.5	1.80.8–5.2	14.1
2067	7.51.7–28	1.80.8–5.1	13.9
2068	7.31.7–27.5	1.70.7–4.9	13.8
2069	71.6–27.1	1.70.7–4.9	13.6
2070	6.81.5–27	1.70.7–4.9	13.4
2071	6.61.4–27.3	1.60.6–4.9	13.2
2072	6.41.4–26.7	1.60.6–4.8	13
2073	6.21.3–26.2	1.60.6–4.9	12.9
2074	61.3–26.2	1.60.6–4.8	12.7
2075	5.91.3–25.3	1.50.6–4.8	12.6
2076	5.71.2–25.6	1.50.6–4.8	12.4
2077	5.61.2–25.7	1.50.6–4.8	12.3
2078	5.41.2–25.4	1.50.5–4.7	12.1
2079	5.31.1–24.4	1.40.5–4.7	12
2080	5.21.1–24.9	1.40.5–4.4	11.8
2081	51.1–24.9	1.40.5–4.5	11.7
2082	4.91–24.9	1.40.4–4.5	11.6
2083	4.81–24.5	1.30.4–4.3	11.5
2084	4.71–24.5	1.30.4–4.5	11.4
2085	4.51–24.4	1.30.4–4.4	11.3
2086	4.41–24.4	1.30.4–4.2	11.1
2087	4.30.9–23.8	1.30.4–4.2	11
2088	4.20.9–24.3	1.20.4–4.1	10.9
2089	4.10.9–24.3	1.20.3–4.1	10.8
2090	40.8–23.1	1.20.3–4	10.7
2091	3.90.8–23.3	1.20.3–4.1	10.6
2092	3.80.8–23	1.20.3–3.9	10.5
2093	3.60.8–22.6	1.10.3–4	10.4
2094	3.50.7–22.6	1.10.3–3.7	10.3
2095	3.40.7–21.8	1.10.2–3.7	10.1
2096	3.40.7–22.5	1.10.2–3.7	10
2097	3.30.7–22.2	1.10.2–3.6	9.9
2098	3.20.7–22.2	1.10.2–3.5	9.8
2099	3.10.6–22.3	10.2–3.4	9.7
2100	30.6–21.8	10.2–3.3	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