Number of children under 5, by world region in South Africa

South Africa: Number of children under 5, by world region was 5.55 million people in 2100. ▬ Flat

Latest (2100)
5.55 million people
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
27th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.91 million people
in 2024
All-time low
5.55 million people
in 2100
Years of data
77
2024–2100

Number of children under 5, by world region in South Africa, 2024–2100

02.0M4.0M6.0M202420622100

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5.55 million people for number of children under 5, by world region in 2100. That is the lowest value across all 77 years on record.

The figure is down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of children under 5, by world region in South Africa peaked at 5.91 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.55 million people, in 2100.

South Africa ranks 27th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2020s 5.81 million people 5.73 million people 5.91 million people 6
2030s 5.62 million people 5.56 million people 5.71 million people 10
2040s 5.64 million people 5.56 million people 5.71 million people 10
2050s 5.68 million people 5.66 million people 5.71 million people 10
2060s 5.64 million people 5.62 million people 5.66 million people 10
2070s 5.61 million people 5.59 million people 5.62 million people 10
2080s 5.59 million people 5.59 million people 5.59 million people 10
2090s 5.57 million people 5.55 million people 5.58 million people 10
2100s 5.55 million people 5.55 million people 5.55 million people 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 24 Iraq 5.99 million people compare
  2. 25 Mali 5.87 million people compare
  3. 26 Russia 5.86 million people compare
  4. 28 Mexico 5.55 million people compare
  5. 29 Chad 5.48 million people compare
  6. 30 Philippines 5.22 million people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of children under 5, by world region in South Africa?
Number of children under 5, by world region in South Africa was 5.55 million people in 2100, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of children under 5, by world region recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5.91 million people in 2024.
What is the lowest number of children under 5, by world region recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.55 million people in 2100.
How does South Africa rank for number of children under 5, by world region?
South Africa ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2100.
Is number of children under 5, by world region rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children under 5, by world region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 77 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of children under 5, by world region
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 18,172 data points, 2024–2100
Last refreshed

The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4. Future projections are based on the UN's medium scenario.