Number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa
South Africa: Number of under-five deaths, female was 18,754 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa, 1981–2024
Source: Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.
Analysis
In 2024, number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa stood at 18,754.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa peaked at 40,644 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 17,959, in 2020.
That places South Africa 28th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 40,644 | — |
| 1982 | 39,767 | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 39,090 | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 38,426 | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 37,643 | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 36,542 | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 35,424 | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 34,038 | -3.9% |
| 1989 | 32,353 | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 30,639 | -5.3% |
| 1991 | 29,575 | -3.5% |
| 1992 | 29,098 | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 29,179 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 29,138 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 29,823 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 31,140 | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 31,769 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 32,789 | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 34,023 | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 34,762 | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 35,676 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 36,480 | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 37,599 | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 39,062 | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 39,608 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 39,196 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 37,109 | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 34,338 | -7.5% |
| 2009 | 30,935 | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 26,816 | -13.3% |
| 2011 | 24,193 | -9.8% |
| 2012 | 23,073 | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 22,342 | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 21,554 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 20,685 | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 19,645 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 18,808 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 18,343 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 18,111 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 17,959 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 18,085 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 18,329 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 18,604 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 18,754 | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37,103 | 32,353 | 40,644 | 9 |
| 1990s | 30,717 | 29,098 | 34,023 | 10 |
| 2000s | 36,476 | 30,935 | 39,608 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,357 | 18,111 | 26,816 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,346 | 17,959 | 18,754 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 13.45 % change on previous year (2015)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.82 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa?
- Number of under-five deaths, female in South Africa was 18,754 in 2024, according to Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.
- What is the highest number of under-five deaths, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 40,644 in 1981.
- What is the lowest number of under-five deaths, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,959 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for number of under-five deaths, female?
- South Africa ranks 28th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of under-five deaths, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org, published as part of Number of under-five deaths, female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of female children dying before reaching age five.