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Explore South Africa's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks

The Infant mortality rate in South Africa (2021 - 2029, per 1000 live births)

The Infant mortality rate in South Africa attained a value of 21.90 per 1000 live births in 2024
The indicator recorded a historical decline (CAGR) of 6.74% between 2021 to 2024, and is expected to decline by...
GlobalData projects the figure to decline at a CAGR of ...

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The Infant mortality rate in South Africa (2021 - 2029, per 1000 live births)

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Infant Mortality Rate

The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths under one year of age occurring per 1,000 live births in a country during a given year. The infant mortality rate is a significant indicator of the general health of a society in addition to providing valuable information on maternal and infant health.

Global Outlook

Afghanistan, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone are among the top five countries with the highest infant mortality rate in the world in 2021. Slovenia, Singapore, Iceland, Monaco, Japan, and Finland were among the nations with the lowest infant mortality rate globally in 2021. The average infant mortality rate was 20.8 per 1,000 live births in 2021 globally.

Some of the factors that influence a country's population growth are the economy, female fertility rates, birth rates, mortality rates, healthcare facilities, rising urbanization, immigration and emigration rates, education, and other social and cultural elements.

Infant Mortality Rate in South Africa

The infant mortality rate in South Africa attained a value of 26.8 per 1,000 live births in 2021. It recorded a 3.5% decline in 2021 compared to the previous year. Between 2018-2021, the infant mortality rate in South Africa declined by 10.2%. The infant mortality rate in South Africa was highest in 2018 at 29.8 per 1,000 live births and lowest in 2021 at 26.8 per 1,000 live births, between 2018 and 2021.

The region with the greatest neonatal mortality rate worldwide is Sub-Saharan Africa (27 deaths per 1,000 live births), which accounts for 43% of all newborn deaths worldwide. Central and southern Asia is second (23 deaths per 1,000 live births), accounting for 36% of all newborn deaths worldwide. The main causes of neonatal deaths are preterm birth, intrapartum-related issues (birth asphyxia or inability to breathe at birth), infections, and birth abnormalities.

The top five causes of infant mortality in the world are:

Neonatal encephalopathy: It is also known as postnatal brain dysfunction. The most common causes of neonatal encephalopathy are delivery injuries or a shortage of oxygen for the infant during birth.

Complications with premature birth: Numerous organ systems are impacted by developmental immaturity. The short-term effects of preterm birth on fetal development as well as harm to delicate organ systems throughout the perinatal and neonatal periods.

Lower respiratory diseases (such as flu and pneumonia): Infections of the lower respiratory tract include those that occur in the lungs or below the voice box. These diseases include tuberculosis, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Diarrheal conditions: For children under the age of five, diarrheal illness is the second most common cause of death. It can be treated as well as prevented.