South Africa infant mortality rate for 2025 is 22.69, a 1.92% decline from 2024.

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<li>South Africa infant mortality rate for 2024 was <strong>23.13</strong>, a <strong>1.88% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Africa infant mortality rate for 2023 was <strong>23.57</strong>, a <strong>3.02% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Africa infant mortality rate for 2022 was <strong>24.31</strong>, a <strong>2.93% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

The infant mortality rate in South Africa saw no significant changes in 2022 in comparison to the previous year 2021 and remained at around 27.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. But still, the infant mortality rate reached its lowest value of the observation period in 2022. The infant mortality rate refers to the number of infants who do not survive past the first year of life, expressed as a value per 1,000 births.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as total life expectancy at birth, total fertility rate, and fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old.

UNICEF's country profile for South Africa, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

In the mid-20th century, the infant mortality rate of South Africa was estimated to be just over 130 deaths per thousand live births, meaning that almost one in seven infants born at that time would not survive past their first birthday. Infant mortality in South Africa would steadily decline for most of the late-1900s, falling to just over forty deaths per thousand live births by the early 1990s. However, with the outbreak of the the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the late 1990s, infant mortality would gradually rise in the country until improvements in HIV treatment and prevention would allow for infant mortality to decline from 2005 onwards. As South Africa continues to improve access to healthcare, it is estimated that, in 2020, over 97 percent of all infants will make it past their first birthday.

Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) in South Africa was reported at 22.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in South Africa remained nearly unchanged at around 24.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. But still, the infant mortality rate reached its lowest value of the observation period in 2023. The infant mortality rate refers to the number of infants who do not survive past the first year of life, expressed as a value per 1,000 births.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as total life expectancy at birth, total fertility rate, and fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old.

South Africa maternal mortality rate for 2023 was 118.00, a 8.53% decline from 2022.

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<li>South Africa maternal mortality rate for 2022 was <strong>129.00</strong>, a <strong>32.46% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>South Africa maternal mortality rate for 2021 was <strong>191.00</strong>, a <strong>61.86% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>South Africa maternal mortality rate for 2020 was <strong>118.00</strong>, a <strong>0.84% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.

South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 38.700 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 39.400 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 48.800 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.000 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 38.700 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Female: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, female is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn female baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to female age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted Average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) in South Africa was reported at 24.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

UNICEF's country profile for Central African Republic, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

ZA: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 33,536.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 35,010.000 Person for 2016. ZA: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 54,785.000 Person from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2017, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81,310.000 Person in 1975 and a record low of 33,536.000 Person in 2017. ZA: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Sum;

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

South Africa ZA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 20.981 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.297 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 30.616 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40.222 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 20.981 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

ZA: UCB Projection: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data was reported at 11.000 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.200 NA for 2049. ZA: UCB Projection: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data is updated yearly, averaging 30.450 NA from Jun 1985 (Median) to 2050, with 66 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.600 NA in 2000 and a record low of 11.000 NA in 2050. ZA: UCB Projection: Mortality Rate: Infant per 1000 Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

South Africa ZA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 9.793 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.102 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 11.455 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.815 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 8.199 Ratio in 1991. South Africa ZA: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

In 2023, the crude birth rate in South Africa decreased by 0.3 live births per 1,000 inhabitants (-1.57 percent) compared to 2022. This marks the lowest rate during the observed period. The crude birth rate is the annual number of live births divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as total fertility rate, fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old, and infant mortality rate.

The child mortality rate in Africa has steadily declined over the past seven decades. Between 1950 and 1955, child mortality was estimated at 311 deaths per thousand births, meaning that almost one third of all children born in these years did not make it to their fifth birthday. By 2020, this number has fallen significantly, to an estimated 71 deaths per thousand births in 2020. While the reduction rate varies on a country-by-country basis, the overall decline can be attributed in large part to the expansion of healthcare services, improvements in nutrition and access to clean drinking water, and the implementation of large scale immunization campaigns across the continent. The temporary slowdown in the 1990s has been attributed in part to rapid urbanization of many parts of the continent that coincided with poor economic performance, resulting in the creation of overcrowded slums with poor access to health and sanitation services. Despite significant improvements in the continent-wide averages, there remains a significant imbalance in the continent, with Sub-Saharan countries experiencing much higher child mortality rates than those in North Africa.

This is a source dataset for a Let's Get Healthy California indicator at https://letsgethealthy.ca.gov/. Infant Mortality is defined as the number of deaths in infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is often used as an indicator to measure the health and well-being of a community, because factors affecting the health of entire populations can also impact the mortality rate of infants. Although California’s infant mortality rate is better than the national average, there are significant disparities, with African American babies dying at more than twice the rate of other groups. Data are from the Birth Cohort Files. The infant mortality indicator computed from the birth cohort file comprises birth certificate information on all births that occur in a calendar year (denominator) plus death certificate information linked to the birth certificate for those infants who were born in that year but subsequently died within 12 months of birth (numerator). Studies of infant mortality that are based on information from death certificates alone have been found to underestimate infant death rates for infants of all race/ethnic groups and especially for certain race/ethnic groups, due to problems such as confusion about event registration requirements, incomplete data, and transfers of newborns from one facility to another for medical care. Note there is a separate data table "Infant Mortality by Race/Ethnicity" which is based on death records only, which is more timely but less accurate than the Birth Cohort File. Single year shown to provide state-level data and county totals for the most recent year. Numerator: Infants deaths (under age 1 year). Denominator: Live births occurring to California state residents. Multiple years aggregated to allow for stratification at the county level. For this indicator, race/ethnicity is based on the birth certificate information, which records the race/ethnicity of the mother. The mother can “decline to state”; this is considered to be a valid response. These responses are not displayed on the indicator visualization.

South Africa ZA: Completeness of Birth Registration data was reported at 85.000 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 92.000 % for 2008. South Africa ZA: Completeness of Birth Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 85.000 % from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2012, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.000 % in 2008 and a record low of 78.000 % in 2006. South Africa ZA: Completeness of Birth Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Completeness of birth registration is the percentage of children under age 5 whose births were registered at the time of the survey. The numerator of completeness of birth registration includes children whose birth certificate was seen by the interviewer or whose mother or caretaker says the birth has been registered.; ; UNICEF's State of the World's Children based mostly on household surveys and ministry of health data.; Weighted average;

The crude birth rate in South Africa decreased by 0.5 live births per 1,000 inhabitants (-2.52 percent) compared to the previous year. Therefore, 2022 marks the lowest rate during the observed period. The crude birth rate refers to the number of live births in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude death rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as total fertility rate, fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old, and infant mortality rate.