The age-adjusted ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates (MRs) of white, Asian and coloured South Africans aged 35-74 years were studied for the period 1968-1985. Asians have the highest IHD MR in the RSA, followed by whites, coloureds and then blacks. Asian female have much higher rates than females in the other groups, especially in the older age groups. Asian males have noticeably higher rates in the younger age groups. Coloured females aged 35-44 years have a surprisingly high rate. Declines of 36.5% (from 482 to 306/100,000) for whites between 1970 and 1985, 27.5% (from 583 to 422/100,000) for Asians between 1973 and 1985, and 19.5% (from 287 to 231/100,000) for coloureds between 1976 and 1985 were observed. Rates declined among both males and females as well as in all the age groups studied. Trends in IHD MRs for black South Africans were studied for 1978-1985. The MRs for IHD among blacks are very much lower than those for South African Asians, coloureds and whites. The age-adjusted IHD MR for all South Africans was 162/100,000 in 1978 and had dropped to 121/100,000 in 1985, a 25.3% decline.