Number of under-five deaths, male in South Africa
South Africa: Number of under-five deaths, male was 22,681 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Number of under-five deaths, male 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
The most recent figure for number of under-five deaths, male in South Africa is 22,681, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of under-five deaths, male in South Africa peaked at 49,716 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 21,702, 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, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 49,716 | — |
| 1982 | 48,915 | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 48,203 | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 47,439 | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 46,572 | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 45,344 | -2.6% |
| 1987 | 44,013 | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 42,351 | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 40,274 | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 38,125 | -5.3% |
| 1991 | 36,649 | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 35,886 | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 35,757 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 35,470 | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 36,058 | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 37,369 | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 37,797 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 38,697 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 39,816 | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 40,451 | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 41,225 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 42,016 | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 43,283 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 44,909 | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 45,545 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 45,163 | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 42,920 | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 39,937 | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 36,284 | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 31,669 | -12.7% |
| 2011 | 28,813 | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 27,506 | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 26,680 | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 25,829 | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 24,841 | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 23,634 | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 22,664 | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 22,165 | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 21,896 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 21,702 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 21,885 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 22,204 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 22,503 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 22,681 | +0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 22,681 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 674, 33.7× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 22,681 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17,430, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45,870 | 40,274 | 49,716 | 9 |
| 1990s | 37,162 | 35,470 | 39,816 | 10 |
| 2000s | 42,173 | 36,284 | 45,545 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25,570 | 21,896 | 31,669 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22,195 | 21,702 | 22,681 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of under-five deaths, male in South Africa?
- Number of under-five deaths, male in South Africa was 22,681 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, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 49,716 in 1981.
- What is the lowest number of under-five deaths, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21,702 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for number of under-five deaths, male?
- South Africa ranks 28th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of under-five deaths, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. 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, male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of male children dying before reaching age five.