Number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa

South Africa: Number of children orphaned from aids was 625,113 in 2024. β—† Volatile

Latest (2024)
625,113
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
5th
of 139 countries
All-time high
1.74 million
in 2009
All-time low
29,900
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa, 1990–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1990200720241990: 29.9k1991: 40.5k1992: 56.9k1993: 81.9k1994: 118.2k1995: 168.7k1996: 235.6k1997: 320.8k1998: 424.5k1999: 546.3k2000: 685.1k2001: 830.1k2002: 985.0k2003: 1.1M2004: 1.3M2005: 1.5M2006: 1.6M2007: 1.7M2008: 1.7M2009: 1.7M2010: 1.7M2011: 1.7M2012: 1.6M2013: 1.5M2014: 1.4M2015: 1.4M2016: 1.3M2017: 1.2M2018: 1.1M2019: 1.0M2020: 948.3k2021: 862.2k2022: 779.2k2023: 701.5k2024: 625.1k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 625,113 for number of children orphaned from aids in 2024.

The figure is down 10.9% on the previous year and down 56.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa peaked at 1.74 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 29,900, in 1990.

That places South Africa 5th out of 139 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 202,343 29,900 546,297 10
2000s 1.32 million 685,081 1.74 million 10
2010s 1.40 million 1.03 million 1.73 million 10
2020s 783,261 625,113 948,293 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Mozambique 1.20 million compare
  2. 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 932,484 compare
  3. 4 Uganda 894,562 compare
  4. 6 Kenya 571,316 compare
  5. 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 511,169 compare
  6. 8 Zimbabwe 505,492 compare

See the full ranking of 139 places β†’

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa?
Number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa was 625,113 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of children orphaned from aids recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.74 million in 2009.
What is the lowest number of children orphaned from aids recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 29,900 in 1990.
How does South Africa rank for number of children orphaned from aids?
South Africa ranks 5th out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
Is number of children orphaned from aids rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 56.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children orphaned from aids. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of children orphaned from aids in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-children-orphaned-from-aids/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of children orphaned from aids
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
139 places, 4,809 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed