Health in South Africa
South Africa
Health data overview for the Republic of South Africa
Population
63 212 384 (2023)
Current health expenditure (% of GDP)
8.27 (2021)
WHO region
Africa
World Bank income level
Upper-middle income (UMC)
Population
Current Population
South Africa, 2023
63.2M
63,212,384 people
Age 0-14 Years
South Africa, 2023
12.3%
Percentage of population aged 0–14 years.
Age 15-64 Years
South Africa, 2023
80%
Percentage of population aged 15–64 years.
Age 65+ Years
South Africa, 2023
7.7%
Percentage of population aged 65 years and older.
Population
SouthAfrica, 2010 - 2050
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth
The average number of years that a newborn could expect to live.
SouthAfrica, by sex, 2000 - 2021.
Leading Causes of Death (2021)
| Rank | Cause of Death | Deaths per 100,000 Population (South Africa, 2021) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | COVID‑19 | 278.7 |
| 2 | Tuberculosis | 95.4 |
| 3 | HIV/AIDS | 77.9 |
| 4 | Stroke | 66.8 |
| 5 | Diabetes mellitus | 57 |
| 6 | Lower respiratory infections | 56.8 |
| 7 | Ischaemic heart disease | 49.2 |
| 8 | Interpersonal violence | 33.8 |
| 9 | Hypertensive heart disease | 31.2 |
| 10 | Diarrhoeal diseases | 27.9 |
Risk factors
Hypertension
South Africa, 2019
44.1% [38.9% – 49.4%]
-0.3 percentage points • improving since 2018
Age-standardized prevalence of hypertension among adults aged 30–79 years (%).
Tobacco Use
South Africa, 2022
20.7% [15.4% – 26%]
Age-standardized prevalence of tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and older (%).
Adult Obesity
South Africa, 2022
30.8% [28.2% – 33.6%]
+0.3 percentage points • worsening since 2021
Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults aged 18 years and older (%).
Children & Adolescents Obesity
South Africa, 2022
7.1% [5% – 9.5%]
0.0 percentage points • improving since 2021
Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years (%).
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