Probability of dying that year, among females in South Africa
South Africa: Probability of dying that year, among females was 2.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Probability of dying that year, among females 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 that year, among females 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 that year, among females in South Africa peaked at 13.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 51st of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Probability of dying that year, among females 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% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 2.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.4%, 75% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Probability of dying that year, among females in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +26.2% | 2.0% | 2.5% |
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 gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 51,011 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 51,011 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is probability of dying that year, among females in South Africa?
- Probability of dying that year, among females 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 that year, among females recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest probability of dying that year, among females recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for probability of dying that year, among females?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is probability of dying that year, among females 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 that year, among females. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Probability of dying in a given interval, among people who survived to the start of that interval.