Live births in South Africa

Live births in South Africa was 1.19 million in 2023, according to the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. That is down 0.3% from 2022. That is the 24th highest of 236 countries in 2023.

2023, count1,186,793 Estimated

Change on 2022-0.3%

Rank24th of 236Countries ranked

Series high1,243,5972008

Series low534,1081950

Live births in South Africa, 1950 to 2023

count. Source: UN WPP, World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2024-12-13.

All 74 values

Period	count
2023	1,186,793 Estimated
2022	1,190,146 Estimated
2021	1,190,312 Estimated
2020	1,182,285 Estimated
2019	1,173,511 Estimated
2018	1,163,460 Estimated
2017	1,154,876 Estimated
2016	1,160,623 Estimated
2015	1,191,603 Estimated
2014	1,211,091 Estimated
2013	1,197,126 Estimated
2012	1,189,588 Estimated
2011	1,169,887 Estimated
2010	1,160,896 Estimated
2009	1,178,323 Estimated
2008	1,243,597 Estimated
2007	1,166,581 Estimated
2006	1,157,144 Estimated
2005	1,124,291 Estimated
2004	1,084,498 Estimated
2003	1,037,337 Estimated
2002	1,004,942 Estimated
2001	1,011,545 Estimated
2000	1,017,081 Estimated
1999	1,060,762 Estimated
1998	1,070,114 Estimated
1997	1,091,868 Estimated
1996	1,121,611 Estimated
1995	1,140,808 Estimated
1994	1,081,586 Estimated
1993	1,152,235 Estimated
1992	1,146,706 Estimated
1991	1,170,388 Estimated
1990	1,170,837 Estimated
1989	1,211,699 Estimated
1988	1,230,450 Estimated
1987	1,239,142 Estimated
1986	1,215,553 Estimated
1985	1,200,048 Estimated
1984	1,170,227 Estimated
1983	1,133,794 Estimated
1982	1,100,132 Estimated
1981	1,056,276 Estimated
1980	1,023,204 Estimated
1979	1,000,535 Estimated
1978	977,732 Estimated
1977	964,558 Estimated
1976	958,964 Estimated
1975	950,848 Estimated
1974	941,247 Estimated
1973	932,746 Estimated
1972	917,234 Estimated
1971	900,469 Estimated
1970	877,296 Estimated
1969	858,270 Estimated
1968	834,361 Estimated
1967	811,124 Estimated
1966	786,790 Estimated
1965	753,872 Estimated
1964	733,055 Estimated
1963	712,678 Estimated
1962	691,059 Estimated
1961	671,921 Estimated
1960	654,647 Estimated
1959	640,756 Estimated
1958	630,445 Estimated
1957	617,087 Estimated
1956	604,746 Estimated
1955	593,446 Estimated
1954	581,444 Estimated
1953	570,665 Estimated
1952	559,047 Estimated
1951	546,874 Estimated
1950	534,108 Estimated

South Africa compared with nearby places

Under 100K
100K to 200K
200K to 400K
400K to 1M
1M and over
No data

Live births, 2023, count. South Africa is outlined. Same source and period for every area shown. Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

Rankings

Countries by live births 236 places
EU countries by live births 27 places

Definition

Live births to mothers resident in the area during the year.

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How to cite

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Modelled estimate. https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz. Retrieved 2026-10-12. CC BY 3.0 IGO.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births) (Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz

MLA 9

World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births), Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 13 Dec. 2024, https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 2024. World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa.

Harvard

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024) World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births), Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{united_live_births_south_africa_2023,
  author = {{United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division}},
  title = {{World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births): Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023}},
  year = {2024},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa. Publisher attribution: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Modelled estimate. https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel\%20Files/1\_Indicator\%20(Standard)/CSV\_FILES/WPP2024\_Demographic\_Indicators\_Medium.csv.gz. Retrieved 2026-10-12. CC BY 3.0 IGO.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division
TI  - World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births): Live births, South Africa, 1950 to 2023
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/13
PB  - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/births/south-africa.
N1  - Publisher attribution: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Modelled estimate. https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz. Retrieved 2026-10-12. CC BY 3.0 IGO.
ER  -

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Questions

What is the live births in South Africa?

Where does this figure come from?

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Births during the calendar year, estimates 1950 to 2023 (Births). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest live births in South Africa?

1.24 million in 2008, the highest value since 1950 in this series.

Live births in other countries

Related statistics for South Africa

All statistics for South Africa | South Africa in figures