Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa
South Africa: Probability of dying in infancy, by sex was 2.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa is 2.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 6.8% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa peaked at 13.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2020.
That places South Africa 51st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 13.2% | — |
| 1951 | 12.8% | -3.0% |
| 1952 | 12.4% | -3.1% |
| 1953 | 12.0% | -3.3% |
| 1954 | 11.6% | -3.5% |
| 1955 | 11.2% | -3.6% |
| 1956 | 10.7% | -4.0% |
| 1957 | 10.3% | -3.9% |
| 1958 | 9.9% | -3.6% |
| 1959 | 9.6% | -3.2% |
| 1960 | 9.4% | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 9.1% | -2.2% |
| 1962 | 9.0% | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 8.9% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 8.7% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 8.7% | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 8.6% | -1.1% |
| 1967 | 8.5% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 8.4% | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 8.2% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 8.1% | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 8.0% | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 7.8% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 7.7% | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 7.5% | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 7.3% | -2.4% |
| 1976 | 7.1% | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 6.9% | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 6.7% | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 6.5% | -3.5% |
| 1980 | 6.2% | -3.7% |
| 1981 | 6.0% | -3.9% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 5.5% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 5.3% | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 5.1% | -4.1% |
| 1986 | 4.9% | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 4.5% | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 4.2% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 4.2% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 4.3% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 4.5% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 4.3% | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 4.5% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 4.9% | +9.4% |
| 2003 | 5.1% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 4.8% | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 4.3% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | -14.7% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | -19.1% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +7.4% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 2.0% | -22.8% |
| 2021 | 2.5% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | +8.4% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | -6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.4% | 9.6% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.7% | 8.2% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 4.4% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.6% | 3.7% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa?
- Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in South Africa was 2.6% in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest probability of dying in infancy, by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest probability of dying in infancy, by sex recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for probability of dying in infancy, by sex?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is probability of dying in infancy, by sex rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Probability of dying in infancy, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Probability of dying in a given interval, among people who survived to the start of that interval.