South Africa vs Zimbabwe

South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Child mortality

Child mortality in 2024: 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa and 6.5 per 100 live births in Zimbabwe, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zimbabwe, by 3 per 100 live births, or 1.84 times that in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Child mortalityChild mortality in 2024: 3.5 per 100 live births in South Africa and 6.5 per 100 live births in Zimbabwe, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zimbabwe, by 3 per 100 live births, or 1.84 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaZimbabweWorld

What the numbers say

  • Zimbabwe has been higher since 1976, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2024, South Africa ranked 53 and Zimbabwe ranked 17 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 AfricaZimbabweWorld
20243.56.53.7
20233.56.43.8
20223.46.44
20213.46.24
20203.46.23.9
20193.45.94
20183.55.64
20173.65.74.1
20163.75.84.2
20153.85.94.3
2014464.4
20134.16.34.5
20124.36.84.7
20114.67.75
201058.55.1
20095.795.3
20086.49.15.5
20077.19.15.7
20067.78.86
200589.26.2
20048.19.16.6
20037.99.26.8
20027.79.47.1
20017.59.67.4
20007.19.97.7
19996.9107.9
19986.69.78.3
19976.310.18.4
19966.110.88.6
19955.910.48.8
19945.810.38.9
19935.79.89.1
19925.69.29.2
19915.78.89.3
19905.88.49.4
198968.19.5
19886.3810
19876.68.19.9
19866.98.510.3
19857.28.910.6
19847.69.610.9
1983810.311.1
19828.41111.2
19818.911.611.6
19809.41211.9
19799.912.211.9
197810.512.212.3
197711.112.212.6
197611.812.112.8
197512.512.113.1
197413.21213.3
1973–1213.5
1972–1213.7
1971–12.113.9
1970–12.214.2
1969–12.414.6
1968–12.615
1967–12.915.3
1966–13.215.1
1965–13.615.1
1964–1415.7
1963–14.416.2
1962–14.717
1961–1518.8
1960–15.420.2
1959–15.619.9
1958–15.819.7
1957–16.120.5
1956–16.321.3
1955–16.522.3
1954–16.722.8
1953–18.123.3
1952––23.9
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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