Infant deaths in South Africa

South Africa: Infant deaths was 28,570 in 2024. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2024)
28,570
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
16th
of 23 groups
All-time high
52,288
in 2005
All-time low
28,570
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Infant deaths in South Africa, 2000–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k2000201220242000: 47.9k2001: 47.5k2002: 47.6k2003: 49.0k2004: 51.3k2005: 52.3k2006: 52.1k2007: 50.7k2008: 49.1k2009: 45.9k2010: 41.9k2011: 40.0k2012: 39.1k2013: 38.1k2014: 36.8k2015: 35.0k2016: 32.8k2017: 30.9k2018: 29.8k2019: 29.2k2020: 28.8k2021: 28.7k2022: 28.8k2023: 28.8k2024: 28.6k

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 28,570 for infant deaths in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 22.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, infant deaths in South Africa peaked at 52,288 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 28,570, in 2024.

South Africa ranks 16th of 23 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 49,340 45,939 52,288 10
2010s 35,356 29,165 41,881 10
2020s 28,733 28,570 28,792 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Mozambique 55,191 compare
  2. 14 Somalia 51,546 compare
  3. 15 Kenya 51,310 compare
  4. 16 Egypt 50,279 compare
  5. 17 Chad 47,333 compare
  6. 18 Yemen 46,799 compare
  7. 19 Mali 45,233 compare

See the full ranking of 221 places β†’

More development goals data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is infant deaths in South Africa?
Infant deaths in South Africa was 28,570 in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest infant deaths recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 52,288 in 2005.
What is the lowest infant deaths recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 28,570 in 2024.
How does South Africa rank for infant deaths?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 23 groups with data for 2024.
Is infant deaths rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Infant deaths (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Infant deaths in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 15 August 2026, from https://development-goals.statizoid.com/stat/infant-deaths-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Infant deaths (number)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
221 places, 5,525 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed