In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in South Africa was 24.4. Between 1976 and 2023, the figure dropped by 87, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

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.

Historical dataset showing South Africa infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 30.100 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 31.500 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 33.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 41.200 Ratio in 2000 and a record low of 30.100 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Infant: 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. Infant mortality rate, female is the number of female infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 female live births in a given 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.

Infant mortality rate of South Africa fell by 0.41% from 24.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 24.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Since the 3.03% decline in 2013, infant mortality rate plummeted by 23.75% in 2023. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Mortality Rate Infant Female Per 1000 Live Births

Time series data for the statistic Infant_Mortality_Rate_Per_1000_Live_Births and country South Africa. Indicator Definition: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 statistic "Infant Mortality Rate Per 1000 Live Births" stands at 24.40 per mille as of 12/31/2023, the lowest value at least since 12/31/1977, the period currently displayed. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -0.1 percentage points compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percentage points is -0.1.The 3 year change in percentage points is -0.6.The 5 year change in percentage points is -1.90.The 10 year change in percentage points is -7.60.The Serie's long term average value is 50.94 per mille. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 26.54 percentage points lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2023, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is +0.0.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1976, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -87.00.

South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 43.300 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 44.100 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 66.000 Ratio from Dec 1974 (Median) to 2016, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 125.500 Ratio in 1974 and a record low of 43.300 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: Mortality Rate: Under-5: 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 is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to 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.

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.

Hazard ratios for potential determinants of infant mortality in rural KwaZulu Natal (South Africa) using a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Number of infant deaths in South Africa was reported at 28900 deaths in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Number of infant deaths - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Hazard ratios for potential determinants of under 5 mortality in rural KwaZulu Natal (South Africa) using a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

The child mortality rate in Africa has steadily declined over the past seven decades. In 2023, it reached 63 deaths per thousand births. In 1950, child mortality was significantly higher, estimated at 327 deaths per thousand births, meaning that almost one-third of all children born in these years did not make it to their fifth birthday. 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 1980s and 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.

Background: Neonates and infants comprise the majority of the 6 million annual deaths under 5 years of age around the world. Most of these deaths occur in low/middle income countries (LMICs) and are preventable. However, the clinical identification of neonates and infants at imminent risk of death is challenging in developing countries.Objective: To systematically review the literature on clinical risk factors for mortality in infants under 12 months of age hospitalized for sepsis or serious infections in LMICs.Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched using MeSH terms through April 2017. Abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers. Subsequently, full-text articles were selected by two independent reviewers based on PICOS criteria for inclusion in the final analysis. Study data were qualitatively synthesized without quantitative pooling of data due to heterogeneity in study populations and methodology.Results: A total of 1,139 abstracts were screened, and 169 full-text articles were selected for text review. Of these, 45 articles were included in the analysis, with 21 articles featuring neonatal populations (under 28 days of age) exclusively. Most studies were from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Risk factors for mortality varied significantly according to study populations. For neonatal deaths, prematurity, low birth-weight and young age at presentation were most frequently associated with mortality. For infant deaths, malnutrition, lack of breastfeeding and low oxygen saturation were associated with mortality in the highest number of studies.Conclusions: Risk factors for mortality differ between the neonatal and young infant age groups and were also dependant on the study population. These data can serve as a starting point for the development of individualized predictive models for in-hospital and post-discharge mortality and for the development of interventions to improve outcomes among these high-risk groups.

Abstract

The Demographic and Health Survey is mainly concerned with the determination of fertility, infant mortality rates and closely related issues. Questions surrounding respondent’s background, reproduction, contraception, health and breastfeeding, marriage, fertility preferences, and husband’s background and woman’s work were asked. This study consists of two datasets, one household dataset and the other an individual dataset, the respondent being a female of reproductive age that has already given birth or who is married or exposed to pregnancy. Females qualifying for the individual interview schedule were chosen from the responses to household (cover) questionnaire.

Geographic coverage

The survey had national coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The universe of the survey was female housheold members aged 12 to 49, who had given birth or were pregnant, or had been/were married or in a "steady" relationship.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

Random samples of clusters of households, were selected, representative of the main lifestyles in every participating region.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The DHS collected data with a structured interview schedule/questionnaire.

South Africa ZA: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting data was reported at 78.213 % in 2008. This records an increase from the previous number of 76.955 % for 2006. South Africa ZA: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting data is updated yearly, averaging 77.584 % from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2008, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.213 % in 2008 and a record low of 76.955 % in 2006. South Africa ZA: Completeness of Infant Death Reporting 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. Completeness of infant death reporting is the number of infant deaths reported by national statistics authorities to the United Nations Statistics Division's Demography Yearbook divided by the number of infant deaths estimated by the United Nations Population Division.; ; The United Nations Statistics Division's Population and Vital Statistics Report and the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects.; ;

In Nigeria, Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, the maternal mortality rate was over 650 per 100,000 live births in 2023, respectively. Nigeria recorded the highest rate on the continent. That year, for every 100,000 children, 993 mothers died from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management. The maternal death rate in Chad equaled 748. South Sudan and the Central African Republic followed with 692 deaths per 100,000 live births each.

Life expectancy of South Africa rose by 1.05% from 65.5 years in 2022 to 66.1 years in 2023. Since the 4.82% decline in 2021, life expectancy leapt by 6.66% in 2023. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Goal 3Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesTarget 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live birthsIndicator 3.1.1: Maternal mortality ratioSH_STA_MORT: Maternal mortality ratioIndicator 3.1.2: Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnelSH_STA_BRTC: Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (%)Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live birthsIndicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rateSH_DYN_IMRTN: Infant deaths (number)SH_DYN_MORT: Under-five mortality rate, by sex (deaths per 1,000 live births)SH_DYN_IMRT: Infant mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)SH_DYN_MORTN: Under-five deaths (number)Indicator 3.2.2: Neonatal mortality rateSH_DYN_NMRTN: Neonatal deaths (number)SH_DYN_NMRT: Neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseasesIndicator 3.3.1: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age and key populationsSH_HIV_INCD: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex and age (per 1,000 uninfected population)Indicator 3.3.2: Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 populationSH_TBS_INCD: Tuberculosis incidence (per 100,000 population)Indicator 3.3.3: Malaria incidence per 1,000 populationSH_STA_MALR: Malaria incidence per 1,000 population at risk (per 1,000 population)Indicator 3.3.4: Hepatitis B incidence per 100,000 populationSH_HAP_HBSAG: Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (%)Indicator 3.3.5: Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseasesSH_TRP_INTVN: Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases (number)Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-beingIndicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseaseSH_DTH_NCOM: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease (probability)SH_DTH_NCD: Number of deaths attributed to non-communicable diseases, by type of disease and sex (number)Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rateSH_STA_SCIDE: Suicide mortality rate, by sex (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_STA_SCIDEN: Number of deaths attributed to suicide, by sex (number)Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcoholIndicator 3.5.1: Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disordersSH_SUD_ALCOL: Alcohol use disorders, 12-month prevalence (%)SH_SUD_TREAT: Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders (%)Indicator 3.5.2: Alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcoholSH_ALC_CONSPT: Alcohol consumption per capita (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year (litres of pure alcohol)Target 3.6: By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidentsIndicator 3.6.1: Death rate due to road traffic injuriesSH_STA_TRAF: Death rate due to road traffic injuries, by sex (per 100,000 population)Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmesIndicator 3.7.1: Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15–49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methodsSH_FPL_MTMM: Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods (% of women aged 15-49 years)Indicator 3.7.2: Adolescent birth rate (aged 10–14 years; aged 15–19 years) per 1,000 women in that age groupSP_DYN_ADKL: Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years)Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for allIndicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health servicesSH_ACS_UNHC: Universal health coverage (UHC) service coverage indexIndicator 3.8.2: Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health as a share of total household expenditure or incomeSH_XPD_EARN25: Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health (greater than 25%) as a share of total household expenditure or income (%)SH_XPD_EARN10: Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health (greater than 10%) as a share of total household expenditure or income (%)Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contaminationIndicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollutionSH_HAP_ASMORT: Age-standardized mortality rate attributed to household air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_STA_AIRP: Crude death rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_STA_ASAIRP: Age-standardized mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_AAP_MORT: Crude death rate attributed to ambient air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_AAP_ASMORT: Age-standardized mortality rate attributed to ambient air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)SH_HAP_MORT: Crude death rate attributed to household air pollution (deaths per 100,000 population)Indicator 3.9.2: Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene (exposure to unsafe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All (WASH) services)SH_STA_WASH: Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene (deaths per 100,000 population)Indicator 3.9.3: Mortality rate attributed to unintentional poisoningSH_STA_POISN: Mortality rate attributed to unintentional poisonings, by sex (deaths per 100,000 population)Target 3.a: Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriateIndicator 3.a.1: Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and olderSH_PRV_SMOK: Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and older, by sex (%)Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for allIndicator 3.b.1: Proportion of the target population covered by all vaccines included in their national programmeSH_ACS_DTP3: Proportion of the target population with access to 3 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) (%)SH_ACS_MCV2: Proportion of the target population with access to measles-containing-vaccine second-dose (MCV2) (%)SH_ACS_PCV3: Proportion of the target population with access to pneumococcal conjugate 3rd dose (PCV3) (%)SH_ACS_HPV: Proportion of the target population with access to affordable medicines and vaccines on a sustainable basis, human papillomavirus (HPV) (%)Indicator 3.b.2: Total net official development assistance to medical research and basic health sectorsDC_TOF_HLTHNT: Total official development assistance to medical research and basic heath sectors, net disbursement, by recipient countries (millions of constant 2018 United States dollars)DC_TOF_HLTHL: Total official development assistance to medical research and basic heath sectors, gross disbursement, by recipient countries (millions of constant 2018 United States dollars)Indicator 3.b.3: Proportion of health facilities that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable basisSH_HLF_EMED: Proportion of health facilities that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable basis (%)Target 3.c: Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing StatesIndicator 3.c.1: Health worker density and distributionSH_MED_DEN: Health worker density, by type of occupation (per 10,000 population)SH_MED_HWRKDIS: Health worker distribution, by sex and type of occupation (%)Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risksIndicator 3.d.1: International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity and health emergency preparednessSH_IHR_CAPS: International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity, by type of IHR capacity (%)Indicator 3.d.2: Percentage of bloodstream infections due to selected antimicrobial-resistant organismsiSH_BLD_MRSA: Percentage of bloodstream infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among patients seeking care and whose

The leading cause of death in low-income countries worldwide in 2021 was lower respiratory infections, followed by stroke and ischemic heart disease. The death rate from lower respiratory infections that year was 59.4 deaths per 100,000 people. While the death rate from stroke was around 51.6 per 100,000 people. Many low-income countries suffer from health issues not seen in high-income countries, including infectious diseases, malnutrition and neonatal deaths, to name a few. Low-income countries worldwide Low-income countries are defined as those with per gross national incomes (GNI) per capita of 1,045 U.S. dollars or less. A majority of the world’s low-income countries are located in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Some of the lowest-income countries as of 2023 include Burundi, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Low-income countries have different health problems that lead to worse health outcomes. For example, Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria have some of the lowest life expectancies on the planet. Health issues in low-income countries Low-income countries also tend to have higher rates of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases as a consequence of poor health infrastructure and a lack of qualified health workers. Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa have some of the highest rates of new HIV infections worldwide. Likewise, tuberculosis, a treatable condition that affects the respiratory system, has high incident rates in lower income countries. Other health issues can be affected by the income of a country as well, including maternal and infant mortality. In 2023, Afghanistan had one of the highest rates of infant mortality rates in the world.