South Africa vs Zambia

South Africa vs Zambia: Child mortality

Child mortality in 2024: 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa and 4.8 per 100 live births in Zambia, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zambia, by 1.3 per 100 live births, or 1.38 times that in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Zambia: Child mortalityChild mortality in 2024: 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa and 4.8 per 100 live births in Zambia, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zambia, by 1.3 per 100 live births, or 1.38 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaZambiaWorld

What the numbers say

  • Zambia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1974.
  • In 2024, South Africa ranked 53 and Zambia ranked 32 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

YearSouth AfricaZambiaWorld
20243.54.83.7
20233.54.93.8
20223.454
20213.454
20203.45.33.9
20193.45.44
20183.55.54
20173.65.54.1
20163.75.74.2
20153.864.3
201446.34.4
20134.16.64.5
20124.36.94.7
20114.67.25
201057.45.1
20095.77.85.3
20086.48.45.5
20077.18.95.7
20067.79.56
2005810.36.2
20048.111.26.6
20037.912.26.8
20027.713.37.1
20017.514.37.4
20007.115.27.7
19996.915.87.9
19986.616.38.3
19976.316.68.4
19966.116.98.6
19955.917.28.8
19945.817.68.9
19935.717.99.1
19925.6189.2
19915.718.19.3
19905.818.19.4
1989617.99.5
19886.317.710
19876.617.49.9
19866.91710.3
19857.216.610.6
19847.616.210.9
1983815.911.1
19828.415.711.2
19818.915.611.6
19809.415.511.9
19799.915.411.9
197810.515.412.3
197711.115.412.6
197611.815.412.8
197512.515.613.1
197413.21613.3
1973–16.513.5
1972–1713.7
1971–17.513.9
1970–1814.2
1969–18.414.6
1968–18.615
1967–18.815.3
1966–18.915.1
1965–1915.1
1964–19.215.7
1963–19.516.2
1962–19.817
1961–20.118.8
1960–20.520.2
1959–20.919.9
1958–21.319.7
1957–21.720.5
1956–22.121.3
1955–22.522.3
1954–22.922.8
1953–23.423.3
1952–23.823.9
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

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