Child Mortality (under 5) in South Africa: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind every data point on MYRIAD is the quiet reality of human lives actually lived. In South Africa, the numbers tell a story of survival across three centuries, measuring how many children born into the world never reached their fifth birthday. Every single decimal place and integer represents a family, a community, and a fragile beginning. It is a record written in the most fundamental terms of human existence, tracking the changing odds of simply growing up.

The historical arc stretches from the 1800s estimate of 361.38 per 1,000 births downward through the decades. By 1900 it was 313.87 per 1,000 births, and the steady decline continued past the mid-century markers of 210.17 in the 1950s and 105.05 in the 1980s. In the 2020s, child mortality stands at 32.8 per 1,000 births, ranking #113 of 157 countries. Looking ahead, projections see the rate falling to 26.24 in the 2030s and eventually reaching 5.5 by the 2100s projection.

If you were born in South Africa across these different eras, your statistical reality shifted profoundly from one generation to the next. What once meant facing a staggering vulnerability in the 1810s estimate of 356.63 or the 1890s estimate of 318.62 gradually transformed into the notably lower risks of the 2010s at 54.69. Each decade redefined the baseline of survival for every child entering the world.

Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →