Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa

South Africa: Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters was 28,469 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
28,469
Change on year
up 18,507.2%
World rank
1st
of 123 countries
All-time high
28,469
in 2020
All-time low
0
in 2018
Years of data
16
2005–2020

Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa, 2005–2020

010.0k20.0k30.0k2005201220202005: 22006: 122007: 502008: 2362009: 332010: 912011: 642012: 3072013: 652014: 332015: 3072016: 3002017: 322018: 02019: 1532020: 28.5k

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 28,469 for number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in 2020. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 18,507.2% on the previous year and up 31,184.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa peaked at 28,469 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2018.

That places South Africa 1st out of 123 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters (number) in South Africa, 2005 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2005 2
2006 12 +500.0%
2007 50 +316.7%
2008 236 +372.0%
2009 33 -86.0%
2010 91 +175.8%
2011 64 -29.7%
2012 307 +379.7%
2013 65 -78.8%
2014 33 -49.2%
2015 307 +830.3%
2016 300 -2.3%
2017 32 -89.3%
2018 0 -100.0%
2019 153
2020 28,469 +18507.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 66.6 2 236 5
2010s 135.2 0 307 10
2020s 28,469 28,469 28,469 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Pakistan 10,599 compare
  2. 3 India 5,688 compare
  3. 4 Iraq 5,218 compare

See the full ranking of 137 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa?
Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa was 28,469 in 2020, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 28,469 in 2020.
What is the lowest number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 123 countries with data for 2020.
Is number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 31,184.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-deaths-and-missing-persons-attributed-to-disasters-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters (number)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
137 places, 2,038 data points, 2005–2025
Last refreshed