South Africa

Child mortality in South Africa

Child mortality in South Africa: 13.2 per 100 live births in 1974 and 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates.

Latest, 2024
3.5 per 100 live births
Since 1974
−9.7 per 100 live births
Rank, 2024
53 of 200
counting from the highest
World, 2024
3.7 per 100 live births
Watch it change on the map

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

Child mortality in South AfricaChild mortality in South Africa: 13.2 per 100 live births in 1974 and 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. The highest was 13.2 per 100 live births in 1974, the lowest 3.4 per 100 live births in 2020.
Estimates, Gapminder and UN IGMEWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 13.2 per 100 live births in 1974, the lowest 3.4 per 100 live births in 2020.

Every year

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

YearSouth AfricaWorld
20243.53.7
20233.53.8
20223.44
20213.44
20203.43.9
20193.44
20183.54
20173.64.1
20163.74.2
20153.84.3
201444.4
20134.14.5
20124.34.7
20114.65
201055.1
20095.75.3
20086.45.5
20077.15.7
20067.76
200586.2
20048.16.6
20037.96.8
20027.77.1
20017.57.4
20007.17.7
19996.97.9
19986.68.3
19976.38.4
19966.18.6
19955.98.8
19945.88.9
19935.79.1
19925.69.2
19915.79.3
19905.89.4
198969.5
19886.310
19876.69.9
19866.910.3
19857.210.6
19847.610.9
1983811.1
19828.411.2
19818.911.6
19809.411.9
19799.911.9
197810.512.3
197711.112.6
197611.812.8
197512.513.1
197413.213.3
1973–13.5
1972–13.7
1971–13.9
1970–14.2
1969–14.6
1968–15
1967–15.3
1966–15.1
1965–15.1
1964–15.7
1963–16.2
1962–17
1961–18.8
1960–20.2
1959–19.9
1958–19.7
1957–20.5
1956–21.3
1955–22.3
1954–22.8
1953–23.3
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

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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