Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa

South Africa: Cases of fatal occupational injury was 83 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
83
Change on year
down 60.7%
World rank
48th
of 129 countries
All-time high
1,762
in 1988
All-time low
83
in 2022
Years of data
22
1985–2022

Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa, 1985–2022

05001.0k1.5k2.0k1985200320221985: 9121986: 1.0k1987: 9511988: 1.8k1989: 4611990: 4351991: 4741992: 5461993: 7291994: 9131995: 8791996: 6121997: 4821998: 5811999: 5802000: 4932009: 3372010: 1852019: 1342020: 1342021: 2112022: 83

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2022, cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa stood at 83. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is down 60.7% on the previous year and down 55.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa peaked at 1,762 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 83, in 2022.

South Africa ranks 48th of 129 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa, 1985 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1985 912
1986 1,023 +12.2%
1987 951 -7.0%
1988 1,762 +85.3%
1989 461 -73.8%
1990 435 -5.6%
1991 474 +9.0%
1992 546 +15.2%
1993 729 +33.5%
1994 913 +25.2%
1995 879 -3.7%
1996 612 -30.4%
1997 482 -21.2%
1998 581 +20.5%
1999 580 -0.2%
2000 493 -15.0%
2009 337 -31.6%
2010 185 -45.1%
2019 134 -27.6%
2020 134 +0.0%
2021 211 +57.5%
2022 83 -60.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1,022 461 1,762 5
1990s 623.1 435 913 10
2000s 415 337 493 2
2010s 159.5 134 185 2
2020s 142.67 83 211 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 46 Jordan 87 compare
  2. 46 Mongolia 87 compare
  3. 49 Bulgaria 80 compare
  4. 50 Hungary 79 compare
  5. 51 Israel 75 compare

See the full ranking of 129 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa?
Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa was 83 in 2022, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest cases of fatal occupational injury recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1,762 in 1988.
What is the lowest cases of fatal occupational injury recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 83 in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for cases of fatal occupational injury?
South Africa ranks 48th out of 129 countries with data for 2022.
Is cases of fatal occupational injury rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 55.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Cases of fatal occupational injury. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cases of fatal occupational injury in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/cases-of-fatal-occupational-injury/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Cases of fatal occupational injury
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
129 places, 3,527 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

A case of occupational injury is the case of a worker incurring an occupational injury as a result of an occupational accident. An occupational injury that is fatal is the result of an occupational accident where death occurred within one year from the day of the accident. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSH) database description.