Demographics of South Africa
Template:Short description Template:Use South African English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox place demographics
.svg){kind=link}
According to the 2022 census, the population of South Africa is about 62 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions, with a majority being Black Africans.[1] The South African National Census of 2022 was the most recent census held; the next will be in 2032.[2]
In 2011, Statistics South Africa counted 2.1 million foreigners in total.[3] ReportsScript error: No such module "Unsubst". suggest that is an underestimation. The real figure may be as high as five million,[4] including some three million Zimbabweans.[5]
History
Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote".
The earliest creatures that can be identified as human ancestors in South Africa are australopithecines. The first evidence of this was a child's skull found in the Taung quarry site. This was in the modern day North-West province. More fossils australopithecines were found in limestone caves Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdaai.[6]
Population
Earlier Censuses, 1904 to 2011
1904 Census
South African population figures for the 1904 Census.[7]
| Template:Diagonal split header | Cape Colony | Natal | Transvaal | Orange River Colony |
Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 1,424,787 | 904,041 | 937,127 | 225,101 | 3,491,056 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| White | 579,741 | 97,109 | 297,277 | 142,690 | 1,116,805 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Coloured | 395,034 | 6,686 | 24,226 | 19,282 | 445,228 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Indian | 10,242 | 100,918 | 11,321 | 253 | 122,734 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Total | 2,409,804 | 1,108,754 | 1,269,951 | 387,315 | 5,175,823 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of S. Africa | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
1960 Census
Sources: Statesman's Year-Book 1967–1968;[8] Europa Year Book 1969[9]
| Template:Diagonal split header | Cape of Good Hope |
Natal | Transvaal | Orange Free State |
Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 3,011,080 | 2,199,920 | 4,633,378 | 1,083,886 | 10,928,264 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| White | 1,003,207 | 340,235 | 1,468,305 | 276,745 | 3,088,492 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Coloured | 1,330,089 | 45,253 | 108,007 | 25,909 | 1,509,258 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Indian | 18,477 | 394,854 | 63,787 | 7 | 477,125 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Total | 5,362,853 | 2,980,262 | 6,273,477 | 1,386,547 | 16,003,139 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of S. Africa | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
1904–85 national census numbers
Bantustan demographics were removed from South African census data during Apartheid and for this reason official figures on the national population of the country during that period will be inaccurate.[10]
| Year | Blacks | Whites | Coloureds | Asians | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popu- lation |
% | Popu- lation |
% | Popu- lation |
% | Popu- lation |
% | Popu- lation |
Area included | ||||||
| 1904 | 3,490 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,117 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 445 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 122 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 5,174 | South Africa | |||||
| 1911 | 4,019 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,276 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 525 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 152 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 5,972 | South Africa | |||||
| 1921 | 4,697 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,521 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 545 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 163 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 6,926 | South Africa | |||||
| 1936 | 6,596 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,003 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 769 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 220 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 9,588 | South Africa | |||||
| 1946 | 7,830 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,372 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 928 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 285 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 11,415 | South Africa | |||||
| 1951 | 8,560 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,642 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,103 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 367 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 12,672 | South Africa | |||||
| 1960 | 10,928 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,088 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,509 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 477 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 16,002 | South Africa | |||||
| 1970 | 11,891 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,759 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,039 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 630 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 18,319 | South Africa - excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda & Ciskei | |||||
| 1970 | 15,340 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,773 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,051 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 630 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 21,794 | South Africa | |||||
| 1980 | 13,135 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,221 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,459 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 748 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 20,563 | South Africa - excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana & Venda | |||||
| 1980 | 16,992 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,512 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,688 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 803 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 24,995 | South Africa - estimate | |||||
| 1985 | 15,163 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,569 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,833 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 821 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 23,386 | South Africa - excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda & Ciskei | |||||
| 1985 | 19,052 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,837 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 2,396 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 879 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 27,704 | South Africa - estimate | |||||
| Year | Blacks | Whites | Coloureds | Asians | Total | Area included | |||||||||
1996 Census
Source: The People of South Africa: Population Census, 1996[11]
| Template:Diagonal split header 2 | Black | White | Coloured | Indian/ Asian |
Other | Total | % of S.A. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Northern Cape in South Africa.svg Northern Cape | 278,633 | 111,844 | 435,368 | 2,268 | 12,208 | 840,321 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Western Cape in South Africa.svg Western Cape | 826,691 | 821,551 | 2,146,109 | 40,376 | 122,148 | 3,956,875 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Eastern Cape in South Africa.svg Eastern Cape | 5,448,495 | 330,294 | 468,532 | 19,356 | 35,849 | 6,302,525 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.svg KwaZulu-Natal | 6,880,652 | 558,182 | 117,951 | 790,813 | 69,423 | 8,417,021 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Mpumalanga in South Africa.svg Mpumalanga | 2,497,834 | 253,392 | 20,283 | 13,083 | 16,120 | 2,800,711 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Free State in South Africa.svg Free State | 2,223,940 | 316,459 | 79,038 | 2,805 | 11,262 | 2,633,504 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Gauteng in South Africa.svg Gauteng | 5,147,444 | 1,702,343 | 278,692 | 161,289 | 58,654 | 7,348,423 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:Limpopo in South Africa.svg Northern Province (now Limpopo) |
4,765,255 | 117,878 | 7,821 | 5,510 | 32,904 | 4,929,368 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| File:North West in South Africa.svg North West | 3,058,686 | 222,755 | 46,652 | 10,097 | 16,635 | 3,354,825 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| South Africa Total | 31,127,631 | 4,434,697 | 3,600,446 | 1,045,596 | 375,204 | 40,583,573 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Percent | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | |
| Population Group → | Black | White | Coloured | Asian | Other | Total | % of RSA |
2001 Census
Source: Statistics South Africa: Census 2001[12]
| Template:Diagonal split header | Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | KwaZulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | Northern Cape | North West | Western Cape | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 5,635,079 | 2,381,073 | 6,522,792 | 8,002,407 | 5,128,616 | 2,886,345 | 293,976 | 3,358,450 | 1,207,429 | 35,416,166 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| White | 304,506 | 238,791 | 1,758,398 | 483,448 | 126,276 | 203,244 | 102,042 | 244,035 | 832,901 | 4,293,640 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Coloured | 478,807 | 83,193 | 337,974 | 141,887 | 10,163 | 22,158 | 424,389 | 56,959 | 2,438,976 | 3,994,505 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Indian | 18,372 | 3,719 | 218,015 | 798,275 | 8,587 | 11,244 | 2,320 | 9,906 | 45,030 | 1,115,467 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Total | 6,436,763 | 2,706,775 | 8,837,178 | 9,426,017 | 5,273,642 | 3,122,990 | 822,727 | 3,669,349 | 4,524,335 | 44,819,778 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of S.A. | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
2011 Census
Source: Census 2011: Census in Brief[13]
| Template:Diagonal split header | Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | KwaZulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | Northern Cape | North West | Western Cape | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 5,660,230 | 2,405,533 | 9,493,684 | 8,912,921 | 5,224,754 | 3,662,219 | 576,986 | 3,152,063 | 1,912,547 | 41,000,938 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Coloured | 541,850 | 83,844 | 423,594 | 141,376 | 14,415 | 36,611 | 461,899 | 71,409 | 2,840,404 | 4,615,401 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| White | 310,450 | 239,026 | 1,913,884 | 428,842 | 139,359 | 303,595 | 81,246 | 255,385 | 915,053 | 4,586,838 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Indian/Asian | 27,929 | 10,398 | 356,574 | 756,991 | 17,881 | 27,917 | 7,827 | 20,652 | 60,761 | 1,286,930 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Other | 21,595 | 6,790 | 84,527 | 27,170 | 8,459 | 9,597 | 17,903 | 10,444 | 93,969 | 280,454 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Total | 6,562,053 | 2,745,590 | 12,272,263 | 10,267,300 | 5,404,868 | 4,039,939 | 1,145,861 | 3,509,953 | 5,822,734 | 51,770,560 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of S.A. | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
2022 Census
Source: Census 2022 Statistical Release[14]
| Template:Diagonal split header | Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | KwaZulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | Northern Cape | North West | Western Cape | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 6,189,075 | 2,630,556 | 12,763,312 | 10,535,830 | 6,341,601 | 4,898,063 | 679,383 | 3,562,524 | 2,884,511 | 50,486,856 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Coloured | 547,741 | 78,141 | 443,857 | 183,019 | 18,409 | 32,100 | 563,605 | 60,720 | 3,124,757 | 5,052,349 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| White | 403,061 | 235,915 | 1,509,800 | 513,377 | 167,524 | 185,731 | 99,150 | 171,887 | 1,217,807 | 4,504,252 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Indian | 37,568 | 12,978 | 329,736 | 1,157,542 | 35,958 | 25,882 | 10,824 | 2,654 | 84,363 | 1,697,506 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Other | 48,339 | 4,274 | 35,890 | 27,442 | 7,172 | 440 | 2,667 | 5,894 | 115,235 | 247,353 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| Total | 7,225,784 | 2,961,864 | 15,084,595 | 12,417,210 | 6,570,664 | 5,142,216 | 1,355,629 | 3,803,679 | 7,426,673 | 61,988,314 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of S.A. | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
Template:Chart Note: The 2022 South African census has been criticised for its inaccuracies, such as the overestimation of the Indian and White population. [15]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
<templatestyles src="Module:Historical populations/styles.css"/>Script error: No such module "Historical populations".
Historical and projected population for the years 1 to 2022
UN age and population estimates: 1950 to 2030
According to the 2019 revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects, South Africa's total population was 55,386,000 in 2015, compared to only 13,628,000 in 1950. In 2015, 29.3% of the people were children under the age of 15, 65.7% were between 15 and 64 years of age, and 5.0% were 65 or older.[16] All population estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand.
| Year | Total population | Percentage in age bracket | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 15 years old | 15 to 64 years old | at least 65 years old | ||
| 1950 | 13,628,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1955 | 15,207,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1960 | 17,100,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1965 | 19,385,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1970 | 22,070,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1975 | 25,195,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1980 | 28,557,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1985 | 32,679,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1990 | 36,801,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 1995 | 41,436,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2000 | 44,968,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2005 | 47,881,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2010 | 51,217,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2015 | 55,386,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2020 | 59,309,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2025 | 62,803,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 2030 | 65,956,000 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
UN population projections: 2019 to 2100
<templatestyles src="Module:Historical populations/styles.css"/>Script error: No such module "Historical populations".
Vital statistics
Vital statistics
The following statistics are obtained from the mid-year population estimates published by Statistics South Africa:[17]
Template:Sticky-headerTemplate:Sort underTemplate:Table alignment
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1,000) | Crude death rate (per 1,000) | Natural change (per 1,000) | Total fertility rates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 46,572,861 | 987,121 | 621,727 | 365,394 | 21.2 | 13.3 | 7.8 | 2.55 |
| 2003 | 47,005,180 | 975,304 | 639,556 | 335,748 | 20.7 | 13.6 | 7.1 | 2.48 |
| 2004 | 47,504,691 | 1,049,185 | 660,576 | 388,609 | 22.1 | 13.9 | 8.2 | 2.62 |
| 2005 | 48,060,577 | 1,113,332 | 683,422 | 429,910 | 23.2 | 14.2 | 8.9 | 2.74 |
| 2006 | 48,642,306 | 1,146,355 | 698,831 | 447,524 | 23.6 | 14.4 | 9.2 | 2.77 |
| 2007 | 49,264,665 | 1,170,206 | 690,859 | 479,347 | 23.8 | 14.0 | 9.7 | 2.77 |
| 2008 | 49,935,872 | 1,196,308 | 676,658 | 519,650 | 24.0 | 13.6 | 10.4 | 2.78 |
| 2009 | 50,653,813 | 1,197,835 | 644,046 | 553,789 | 23.6 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 2.74 |
| 2010 | 51,405,009 | 1,182,577 | 608,869 | 573,708 | 23.0 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 2.65 |
| 2011 | 52,217,038 | 1,194,399 | 572,658 | 621,741 | 22.9 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 2.64 |
| 2012 | 53,068,330 | 1,199,305 | 547,027 | 652,278 | 22.6 | 10.3 | 12.3 | 2.61 |
| 2013 | 53,940,104 | 1,195,484 | 529,404 | 666,080 | 22.2 | 9.8 | 12.3 | 2.56 |
| 2014 | 54,829,783 | 1,192,619 | 515,742 | 676,877 | 21.8 | 9.4 | 12.3 | 2.52 |
| 2015 | 55,710,675 | 1,177,128 | 513,781 | 663,347 | 21.1 | 9.2 | 11.9 | 2.45 |
| 2016 | 56,543,365 | 1,129,875 | 519,496 | 610,379 | 20.0 | 9.2 | 10.8 | 2.33 |
| 2017 | 57,366,323 | 1,119,165 | 523,259 | 595,906 | 19.5 | 9.1 | 10.4 | 2.28 |
| 2018 | 58,233,213 | 1,155,430 | 520,337 | 635,093 | 19.8 | 8.9 | 10.9 | 2.34 |
| 2019 | 59,131,136 | 1,184,110 | 522,734 | 661,376 | 20.0 | 8.8 | 11.2 | 2.38 |
| 2020 | 60,002,639 | 1,215,381 | 528,117 | 687,264 | 20.3 | 8.8 | 11.5 | 2.42 |
| 2021 | 60,641,542 | 1,223,452 | 675,121 | 548,331 | 20.2 | 11.1 | 9.0 | 2.42 |
| 2022 | 61,356,168 | 1,223,535 | 631,623 | 591,912 | 19.9 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 2.42 |
| 2023 | 62,180,391 | 1,222,387 | 540,620 | 681,767 | 19.7 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 2.42 |
| 2024 | 63,015,904 | 1,224,801 | 547,360 | 677,441 | 19.4 | 8.7 | 10.8 | 2.41 |
Total fertility rates by province
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
| Province | 2021–2026 (est.) |
|---|---|
| Template:Country data Limpopo | 3.03 |
| Template:Country data Eastern Cape | 2.87 |
| Template:Country data Northern Cape | 2.63 |
| Template:Country data KwaZulu-Natal | 2.53 |
| Template:Country data North West (South African province) | 2.52 |
| Template:Country data Mpumalanga | 2.27 |
| File:Flag of the Free State Province.png Free State | 2.27 |
| Template:Country data Western Cape | 2.01 |
| Template:Country data Gauteng | 1.82 |
United Nations Population Estimates
The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.[16] (Natural increase or decrease over a time period is the difference between that period's live births and deaths, before accounting for inward or outward migration.)
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural Increase per year | Crude Birth Rate (per 1,000 per year) |
Crude Death Rate (per 1,000 per year) |
Natural Increase (per 1,000 per year) |
Total Fertility Rate (over av'ge woman's life) | Infant Mortality Rate (per 100,000 live births) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 606,600 | 292,400 | + 314,200 | 42.1 | 20.7 | + 21.8 | 6.05 | 134 |
| 1955–1960 | 669,400 | 293,800 | + 375,600 | 41.4 | 18.2 | + 23.3 | 6.05 | 121 |
| 1960–1965 | 740,200 | 304,600 | + 435,600 | 40.6 | 16.7 | + 23.9 | 6.00 | 112 |
| 1965–1970 | 810,600 | 313,600 | + 497,000 | 39.1 | 15.2 | + 24.0 | 5.80 | 103 |
| 1970–1975 | 896,000 | 315,400 | + 580,600 | 37.9 | 13.3 | + 24.6 | 5.50 | 89 |
| 1975–1980 | 967,400 | 309,800 | + 657,600 | 36.0 | 11.5 | + 24.5 | 5.05 | 71 |
| 1980–1985 | 1,099,200 | 311,000 | + 788,200 | 35.9 | 10.2 | + 25.7 | 4.90 | 56 |
| 1985–1990 | 1,147,400 | 299,400 | + 848,000 | 33.0 | 8.6 | + 24.4 | 4.40 | 46 |
| 1990–1995 | 1,074,600 | 318,000 | + 756,600 | 27.5 | 8.1 | + 19.3 | 3.51 | 41 |
| 1995–2000 | 1,026,600 | 448,000 | + 578,600 | 23.8 | 10.4 | + 13.4 | 2.88 | 47 |
| 2000–2005 | 1,051,600 | 626,800 | + 424,800 | 22.7 | 13.5 | + 9.2 | 2.61 | 54 |
| 2005–2010 | 1,166,200 | 671,400 | + 494,800 | 23.5 | 13.6 | + 10.0 | 2.62 | 48 |
| 2010–2015 | 1,207,200 | 557,200 | + 650,000 | 22.6 | 10.5 | + 12.2 | 2.55 | 33 |
| 2015–2020 | 1,185,000 | 546,000 | + 639,000 | 20.7 | 9.5 | + 11.1 | 2.41 | 27 |
| 2020–2025 | 1,159,600 | 573,200 | + 586,400 | 19.0 | 9.4 | + 9.6 | 2.31 | 24 |
| 2025–2030 | 1,143,400 | 604,400 | + 539,000 | 17.8 | 9.4 | + 8.4 | 2.22 | 21 |
| Total Fertility Rate = average number of children over a woman's lifetime; Infant Mortality Rate per 100,000 live births | ||||||||
Age and sex distribution
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
| Age group | Male | Female percent | Female | Total | Percent of RSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 7,969,880 | 49.6% | 7,842,388 | 15,812,268 | 31.3% |
| 15–64 | 15,538,934 | 51.8% | 16,696,600 | 32,235,534 | 63.7% |
| 65+ | 1,006,222 | 51.8% | 1,532,733 | 2,538,955 | 5.0% |
| All ages | 24,515,036 | 51.5% | 26,071,721 | 50,586,757 | 100% |
| Age group | Male | Female percent | Female | Total | Percent of RSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 5 | 2,867,585 | 49.6% | 2,817,867 | 5,685,452 | 11.0% |
| 5–9 | 2,425,181 | 49.7% | 2,394,570 | 4,819,751 | 9.3% |
| 10–14 | 2,344,275 | 49.0% | 2,250,611 | 4,594,886 | 8.9% |
| 15–19 | 2,498,572 | 50.1% | 2,504,905 | 5,003,477 | 9.7% |
| 20–24 | 2,694,646 | 49.9% | 2,679,896 | 5,374,542 | 10.4% |
| 25–29 | 2,542,682 | 49.7% | 2,516,635 | 5,059,317 | 9.8% |
| 30–34 | 2,036,206 | 49.5% | 1,992,804 | 4,029,010 | 7.8% |
| 35–39 | 1,709,347 | 50.7% | 1,758,420 | 3,467,767 | 6.7% |
| 40–44 | 1,402,328 | 52.4% | 1,546,291 | 2,948,619 | 5.7% |
| 45–49 | 1,195,740 | 54.4% | 1,424,543 | 2,620,283 | 5.1% |
| 50–54 | 1,011,349 | 54.4% | 1,206,940 | 2,218,289 | 4.3% |
| 55–59 | 811,950 | 54.8% | 985,458 | 1,797,408 | 3.5% |
| 60–64 | 612,364 | 55.8% | 773,404 | 1,385,768 | 2.7% |
| 65–69 | 401,548 | 58.1% | 556,256 | 957,804 | 1.9% |
| 70–74 | 293,498 | 60.8% | 454,832 | 748,330 | 1.4% |
| 75–79 | 165,283 | 65.7% | 315,984 | 481,267 | 0.9% |
| 80–84 | 100,694 | 68.8% | 222,222 | 322,916 | 0.6% |
| 85-plus | 75,543 | 70.5% | 180,130 | 255,673 | 0.5% |
| TOTAL | 25,188,791 | 51.3% | 26,581,769 | 51,770,560 | 100% |
| Number of children 0–14 | Number of women 15–49 | Proportion | Fertility Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,812,264 | 13,866,489 | 1.14 | 2.35 |
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 2022): [18]
| Age group | Male | Female percent | Female | Total | Percent of RSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 8 193 703 | 49.88% | 8 153 039 | 16 346 742 | 26.35% |
| 15–64 | 20 340 801 | 51.19% | 21 332 902 | 41 673 703 | 67.19% |
| 65+ | 1 544 253 | 61.46% | 2 462 805 | 4 007 058 | 6.46% |
| All ages | 30 078 757 | 51.51% | 31 948 746 | 62 027 503 | 100% |
| Age group | Male | Female percent | Female | Total | Percent of RSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 5 | 2 918 292 | 50.0% | 2 915 222 | 5 833 515 | 9.40% |
| 5–9 | 2 561 963 | 49.9% | 2 547 141 | 5 109 104 | 8.24% |
| 10–14 | 2 713 448 | 49.8% | 2 690 676 | 5 404 124 | 8.71% |
| 15–19 | 2 504 677 | 49.7% | 2 470 633 | 4 975 309 | 8.02% |
| 20–24 | 2 670 986 | 49.7% | 2 638 753 | 5 309 738 | 8.56% |
| 25–29 | 2 825 292 | 50.7% | 2 907 947 | 5 733 239 | 9.24% |
| 30–34 | 2 776 212 | 50.4% | 2 816 611 | 5 592 823 | 9.02% |
| 35–39 | 2 596 891 | 50.3% | 2 625 711 | 5 222 603 | 8.42% |
| 40–44 | 2 089 077 | 50.1% | 2 096 144 | 4 185 220 | 6.75% |
| 45–49 | 1 586 698 | 51.8% | 1 706 813 | 3 293 511 | 5.31% |
| 50–54 | 1 277 910 | 53.9% | 1 491 229 | 2 769 139 | 4.46% |
| 55–59 | 1 100 778 | 55.9% | 1 395 674 | 2 496 452 | 4.02% |
| 60–64 | 912 280 | 56.5% | 1 183 387 | 2 095 667 | 3.38% |
| 65–69 | 672 433 | 58.0% | 927 238 | 1 599 671 | 2.58% |
| 70–74 | 419 393 | 59.9% | 626 614 | 1 046 006 | 1.69% |
| 75–79 | 238 713 | 63.4% | 413 321 | 652 033 | 1.05% |
| 80–84 | 132 074 | 66.5% | 262 740 | 394 814 | 0.64% |
| 85-plus | 81 640 | 74.0% | 232 892 | 314 532 | 0.51% |
| TOTAL | 30 078 757 | 51.5% | 31 948 746 | 62 027 503 | 100% |
Age and race distribution
| Population Group | Male | Female | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % Distribution of Males | Number | % Distribution of Females | Number | % Distribution of Total | |
| Black African | 23,519,474 | 80.7 | 24,634,253 | 80.8 | 48,153,727 | 80.8 |
| Coloured | 2,555,204 | 8.8 | 2,692,536 | 8.8 | 5,247,740 | 8.8 |
| Indian/Asian | 787,662 | 2.7 | 753,451 | 2.5 | 1,541,113 | 2.6 |
| White | 2,266,535 | 7.8 | 2,413,235 | 7.9 | 4,679,770 | 7.8 |
| Total | 29,128,875 | 100.0 | 30,493,475 | 100.0 | 59,622,350 | 100.0 |
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
Age distribution within each racial group
By generation
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | Others | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| 0–14 | 15,100,089 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 12,702,324 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,311,811 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 771,187 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 258,602 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 56,164 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 15–64 | 33,904,479 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 26,502,329 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,085,684 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,165,965 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 939,379 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 211,126 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 65-plus | 2,765,992 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,796,285 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 217,906 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 649,686 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 88,949 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 13,164 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| All ages | 51,770,560 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 41,000,938 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,615,401 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,586,838 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,286,930 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 280,454 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of SA | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | ||||||
Racial composition of each age group in 2015 (estimates)
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| 0–14 | 16,612,043 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 14,244,663 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,288,601 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 789,492 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 289,285 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 15–64 | 35,465,499 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 28,170,797 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,299,771 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 3,026,475 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 968,649 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| 65-plus | 2,879,378 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,812,535 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 244,544 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 718,041 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 104.068 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| All ages | 54,956,920 | 100% | 44,227,995 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,832,916 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 4,534,008 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | 1,362,002 | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> |
| % of SA | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | <templatestyles src="Percentage bar/styles.css"/> | |||||
By five-year cohorts
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| under 5 | 5,936,350 | 10.80% | 5,156,508 | 11.66% | 426,156 | 8.82% | 254,978 | 5.62% | 98,708 | 7.25% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,537,225 | 10.08% | 4,746,115 | 10.73% | 430,666 | 8.91% | 263,378 | 5.81% | 97,065 | 7.13% |
| 10 to 14 | 5,138,468 | 9.35% | 4,342,040 | 9.82% | 431,779 | 8.93% | 271,136 | 5.98% | 93,512 | 6.87% |
| 15 to 19 | 5,124,373 | 9.32% | 4,292,220 | 9.70% | 437,412 | 9.05% | 295,733 | 6.52% | 99,007 | 7.27% |
| 20 to 24 | 5,302,246 | 9.65% | 4,461,515 | 10.09% | 426,013 | 8.81% | 306,415 | 6.76% | 108,304 | 7.95% |
| 25 to 29 | 5,232,254 | 9.52% | 4,437,570 | 10.03% | 389,429 | 8.06% | 287,485 | 6.34% | 117,771 | 8.65% |
| 30 to 34 | 4,307,693 | 7.84% | 3,535,173 | 7.99% | 366,955 | 7.59% | 281,358 | 6.21% | 124,206 | 9.12% |
| 35 to 39 | 3,774,921 | 6.87% | 3,001,989 | 6.79% | 376,488 | 7.79% | 279,439 | 6.16% | 117,005 | 8.59% |
| 40 to 44 | 3,204,952 | 5.83% | 2,444,972 | 5.53% | 368,886 | 7.63% | 288,370 | 6.36% | 102,725 | 7.54% |
| 45 to 49 | 2,738,580 | 4.98% | 2,004,009 | 4.53% | 307,363 | 6.36% | 335,434 | 7.40% | 91,774 | 6.74% |
| 50 to 54 | 2,297,586 | 4.18% | 1,619,249 | 3.66% | 264,593 | 5.47% | 332,977 | 7.34% | 80,767 | 5.93% |
| 55 to 59 | 1,942,942 | 3.54% | 1,334,800 | 3.02% | 209,933 | 4.34% | 328,999 | 7.26% | 69,210 | 5.08% |
| 60 to 64 | 1,539,953 | 2.80% | 1,039,301 | 2.35% | 152,698 | 3.16% | 290,075 | 6.40% | 57,879 | 4.25% |
| 65 to 69 | 1,153,159 | 2.10% | 737,581 | 1.67% | 105,403 | 2.18% | 265,818 | 5.86% | 44,357 | 3.26% |
| 70 to 74 | 805,114 | 1.46% | 511,723 | 1.16% | 65,465 | 1.35% | 198,876 | 4.39% | 28,949 | 2.13% |
| 75 to 79 | 502,005 | 0.91% | 313,800 | 0.71% | 41,978 | 0.87% | 128,675 | 2.84% | 17,552 | 1.29% |
| 80-plus | 419,100 | 0.76% | 249,431 | 0.56% | 31,698 | 0.66% | 124,672 | 2.75% | 13,210 | 0.97% |
| All ages | 54,956,920 | 100% | 44,227,995 | (100%) | 4,832,916 | (100%) | 4,534,008 | (100%) | 1,362,002 | (100%) |
| % of SA | 100% | 80.48% | 8.79% | 8.25% | 2.48% | |||||
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| under 5 | 5,936,350 | 5,156,508 | 86.86% | 426,156 | 7.18% | 254,978 | 4.30% | 98,708 | 1.66% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,537,225 | 4,746,115 | 85.71% | 430,666 | 7.78% | 263,378 | 4.76% | 97,065 | 1.75% |
| 10 to 14 | 5,138,468 | 4,342,040 | 84.50% | 431,779 | 8.40% | 271,136 | 5.28% | 93,512 | 1.82% |
| 15 to 19 | 5,124,373 | 4,292,220 | 83.76% | 437,412 | 8.54% | 295,733 | 5.77% | 99,007 | 1.93% |
| 20 to 24 | 5,302,246 | 4,461,515 | 84.14% | 426,013 | 8.03% | 306,415 | 5.78% | 108,304 | 2.04% |
| 25 to 29 | 5,232,254 | 4,437,570 | 84.81% | 389,429 | 7.44% | 287,485 | 5.49% | 117,771 | 2.25% |
| 30 to 34 | 4,307,693 | 3,535,173 | 82.07% | 366,955 | 8.52% | 281,358 | 6.53% | 124,206 | 2.88% |
| 35 to 39 | 3,774,921 | 3,001,989 | 79.52% | 376,488 | 9.97% | 279,439 | 7.40% | 117,005 | 3.10% |
| 40 to 44 | 3,204,952 | 2,444,972 | 76.29% | 368,886 | 11.51% | 288,370 | 9.00% | 102,725 | 3.21% |
| 45 to 49 | 2,738,580 | 2,004,009 | 73.18% | 307,363 | 11.22% | 335,434 | 12.25% | 91,774 | 3.35% |
| 50 to 54 | 2,297,586 | 1,619,249 | 70.48% | 264,593 | 11.52% | 332,977 | 14.49% | 80,767 | 3.52% |
| 55 to 59 | 1,942,942 | 1,334,800 | 68.70% | 209,933 | 10.80% | 328,999 | 16.93% | 69,210 | 3.56% |
| 60 to 64 | 1,539,953 | 1,039,301 | 67.49% | 152,698 | 9.92% | 290,075 | 18.84% | 57,879 | 3.76% |
| 65 to 69 | 1,153,159 | 737,581 | 63.96% | 105,403 | 9.14% | 265,818 | 23.05% | 44,357 | 3.85% |
| 70 to 74 | 805,114 | 511,723 | 63.56% | 65,465 | 8.13% | 198,876 | 24.70% | 28,949 | 3.60% |
| 75 to 79 | 502,005 | 313,800 | 62.51% | 41,978 | 8.36% | 128,675 | 25.63% | 17,552 | 3.50% |
| 80-plus | 419,100 | 249,431 | 59.52% | 31,698 | 7.56% | 124,672 | 29.75% | 13,210 | 3.15% |
| All ages | 54,956,920 | 44,227,995 | 4,832,916 | 4,534,008 | 1,362,002 | ||||
| % of SA | 80.48% | 8.79% | 8.25% | 2.48% | |||||
Racial composition of each age group in 2020 (estimates)
Source:[19]
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| 0–14 | 17,050,955 | 28.60% | 14,605,416 | 30.33% | 1,408,553 | 26.84% | 742,913 | 15.87% | 294,073 | 19.08% |
| 15–64 | 38,941,221 | 65.31% | 31,368,174 | 65.14% | 3,487,284 | 66.45% | 2,988,634 | 63.86% | 1,097,129 | 71.19% |
| 65-plus | 3,630,174 | 6.09% | 2,180,137 | 4.53% | 351,903 | 6.71% | 948,223 | 20.26% | 149,911 | 9.73% |
| All ages | 59,622,350 | 100% | 48,153,727 | (100%) | 5,247,740 | (100%) | 4,679,770 | (100%) | 1,541,113 | (100%) |
| % of SA | 100% | 80.76% | 8.80% | 7.85% | 2.58% | |||||
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| under 5 | 5,743,450 | 9.63% | 4,940,751 | 10.26% | 476,322 | 9.08% | 226,715 | 4.84% | 99,662 | 6.47% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,715,952 | 9.59% | 4,890,895 | 10.16% | 475,518 | 9.06% | 249,991 | 5.34% | 99,548 | 6.46% |
| 10 to 14 | 5,591,553 | 9.38% | 4,773,770 | 9.91% | 456,713 | 8.70% | 266,207 | 5.69% | 94,863 | 6.16% |
| 15 to 19 | 4,774,579 | 8.01% | 4,031,704 | 8.37% | 411,056 | 7.83% | 243,267 | 5.20% | 88,552 | 5.75% |
| 20 to 24 | 4,823,367 | 8.09% | 4,043,432 | 8.40% | 423,180 | 8.06% | 254,465 | 5.44% | 102,290 | 6.64% |
| 25 to 29 | 5,420,754 | 9.09% | 4,586,780 | 9.53% | 435,746 | 8.30% | 267,654 | 5.72% | 130,574 | 8.47% |
| 30 to 34 | 5,641,750 | 9.46% | 4,769,499 | 9.90% | 431,274 | 8.22% | 296,160 | 6.33% | 144,817 | 9.40% |
| 35 to 39 | 4,798,293 | 8.05% | 3,962,780 | 8.23% | 381,858 | 7.28% | 308,959 | 6.60% | 144,696 | 9.39% |
| 40 to 44 | 3,733,942 | 6.26% | 2,988,999 | 6.21% | 316,611 | 6.03% | 306,414 | 6.55% | 121,918 | 7.91% |
| 45 to 49 | 3,169,648 | 5.32% | 2,393,317 | 4.97% | 312,665 | 5.96% | 352,648 | 7.54% | 111,018 | 7.20% |
| 50 to 54 | 2,571,263 | 4.31% | 1,834,191 | 3.81% | 302,224 | 5.76% | 337,839 | 7.22% | 97,009 | 6.29% |
| 55 to 59 | 2,211,309 | 3.71% | 1,546,674 | 3.21% | 264,967 | 5.05% | 314,423 | 6.72% | 85,245 | 5.53% |
| 60 to 64 | 1,796,316 | 3.01% | 1,210,798 | 2.51% | 207,703 | 3.96% | 306,805 | 6.56% | 71,010 | 4.61% |
| 65 to 69 | 1,408,665 | 2.36% | 918,604 | 1.91% | 150,941 | 2.88% | 281,318 | 6.01% | 57,802 | 3.75% |
| 70 to 74 | 1,007,174 | 1.69% | 619,106 | 1.29% | 97,127 | 1.85% | 248,673 | 5.31% | 42,268 | 2.74% |
| 75 to 79 | 637,062 | 1.07% | 365,409 | 0.76% | 56,822 | 1.08% | 188,123 | 4.02% | 26,708 | 1.73% |
| 80-plus | 577,273 | 0.97% | 277,018 | 0.58% | 47,013 | 0.90% | 230,109 | 4.92% | 23,133 | 1.50% |
| All ages | 59,622,350 | 100% | 48,153,727 | (100%) | 5,247,740 | (100%) | 4,679,770 | (100%) | 1,541,113 | (100%) |
| % of SA | 100% | 80.76% | 8.80% | 7.85% | 2.58% | |||||
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| under 5 | 5,743,450 | 4,940,751 | 86.02% | 476,322 | 8.29% | 226,715 | 3.95% | 99,662 | 1.74% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,715,952 | 4,890,895 | 85.57% | 475,518 | 8.32% | 249,991 | 4.37% | 99,548 | 1.74% |
| 10 to 14 | 5,591,553 | 4,773,770 | 85.37% | 456,713 | 8.17% | 266,207 | 4.76% | 94,863 | 1.70% |
| 15 to 19 | 4,774,579 | 4,031,704 | 84.44% | 411,056 | 8.61% | 243,267 | 5.10% | 88,552 | 1.85% |
| 20 to 24 | 4,823,367 | 4,043,432 | 83.83% | 423,180 | 8.77% | 254,465 | 5.28% | 102,290 | 2.12% |
| 25 to 29 | 5,420,754 | 4,586,780 | 84.62% | 435,746 | 8.04% | 267,654 | 4.94% | 130,574 | 2.41% |
| 30 to 34 | 5,641,750 | 4,769,499 | 84.54% | 431,274 | 7.64% | 296,160 | 5.25% | 144,817 | 2.57% |
| 35 to 39 | 4,798,293 | 3,962,780 | 82.59% | 381,858 | 7.96% | 308,959 | 6.44% | 144,696 | 3.02% |
| 40 to 44 | 3,733,942 | 2,988,999 | 80.05% | 316,611 | 8.48% | 306,414 | 8.21% | 121,918 | 3.27% |
| 45 to 49 | 3,169,648 | 2,393,317 | 75.51% | 312,665 | 9.86% | 352,648 | 11.13% | 111,018 | 3.50% |
| 50 to 54 | 2,571,263 | 1,834,191 | 71.33% | 302,224 | 11.75% | 337,839 | 13.14% | 97,009 | 3.77% |
| 55 to 59 | 2,211,309 | 1,546,674 | 69.94% | 264,967 | 11.98% | 314,423 | 14.22% | 85,245 | 3.85% |
| 60 to 64 | 1,796,316 | 1,210,798 | 67.40% | 207,703 | 11.56% | 306,805 | 17.08% | 71,010 | 3.95% |
| 65 to 69 | 1,408,665 | 918,604 | 65.21% | 150,941 | 10.72% | 281,318 | 19.97% | 57,802 | 4.10% |
| 70 to 74 | 1,007,174 | 619,106 | 61.47% | 97,127 | 9.64% | 248,673 | 24.69% | 42,268 | 4.20% |
| 75 to 79 | 637,062 | 365,409 | 57.36% | 56,822 | 8.92% | 188,123 | 29.53% | 26,708 | 4.19% |
| 80-plus | 577,273 | 277,018 | 47.99% | 47,013 | 8.14% | 230,109 | 39.86% | 23,133 | 4.01% |
| All ages | 59,622,350 | 48,153,727 | 5,247,740 | 4,679,770 | 1,541,113 | ||||
| % of SA | 80.76% | 8.80% | 7.85% | 2.58% | |||||
Demographic and Health Surveys
Fertility rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):[20]
| Year | Total | Urban | Rural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | |
| 1998 | 21.90 | 2.90 (2.3) | 19.2 | 2.25 (1.8) | 25.4 | 3.92 (2.9) |
| 2016 | 22.3 | 2.6 (2.0) | 21.9 | 2.4 (1.9) | 23.1 | 3.1 (2.4) |
Fertility rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) by ethnic group.
| Year | Total | Black African | White | Coloured | Indian/Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.9 (2.3) | 3.1 (2.4) | 1.9 (1.5) | 2.5 (2.1) | |
| 2016 | 2.6 (2.0) | 2.7 (2.1) | 1.5 (1.2) | 2.5 (1.9) | 1.7 (1.6) |
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth from 1950 to 2020 (UN World Population Prospects):[21]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
| Period | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 48.5 |
| 1955–1960 | Increase 51.3 |
| 1960–1965 | Increase 53.0 |
| 1965–1970 | Increase 54.8 |
| 1970–1975 | Increase 56.7 |
| 1975–1980 | Increase 57.3 |
| 1980–1985 | Increase 58.4 |
| 1985–1990 | Increase 61.0 |
| 1990–1995 | Increase 62.3 |
| 1995–2000 | Decrease 59.2 |
| 2000–2005 | Decrease 53.8 |
| 2005–2010 | Decrease 53.1 |
| 2010–2015 | Increase 59.5 |
| 2015–2020 | Increase 63.7 |
| 2020–2025 | Increase 66.5 |
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Ethnic groups
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
.svg){kind=link}
Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups.[23] The 2011 census figures for these groups were African at 80.2%, White at 8.4%, Coloured at 8.8%, Indian/Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%.[24]
The white percentage of the population has sharply declined. The first census in South Africa in 1911 showed that whites made up 22% of the population. This declined to 16% in 1980,[25] 8.9% in 2011 and 7.65% in 2022.[26]Template:Rp Coloured South Africans replaced Whites as the largest minority group around 2010.
- Maps of ethnoracial groups of South Africa
-
Blacks: 50,486,856 (81.45%)
-
Coloureds: 5,052,349 (8.15%)
-
Whites: 4,504,252 (7.30%)
-
Indians: 1,697,506 (2.74%)
Languages
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". South Africa has twelve official languages:[14] isiZulu[24] 24.4%, isiXhosa[24] 16.3%, Afrikaans[24] 10.6%, English[24] 8.7%, Sepedi[24] 10.0%, Setswana[24] 8.3%, Sesotho[24] 7.8%, Xitsonga[24] 4.7%, siSwati[24] 2.8%, Tshivenda[24] 2.5%, isiNdebele[24] 1.7% and South African Sign Language.[27]
In this regard, it is third only to Bolivia and India in number. While all the languages are formally equal, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the 2022 census, the three most spoken languages in the household are Zulu (24.4%), Xhosa (16.3%), and Afrikaans (10.6%).[1]
Between 1996 and 2022, the proportion of Afrikaans speakers declined from 14.5% to 10.6% and English held steady at 8.7%, whle isiZulu grew from 22.8% to 24.4%, and Xhosa declined from 17.9% to 16.3%[14]
The country also recognises several unofficial languages, including Sekholokoe, Fanagalo, Khwe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi and San.[28] These unofficial languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide recognition.
Many of the "unofficial languages" of the San and Khoikhoi people contain regional dialects stretching northwards into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. These people, who are a physically distinct population from other Africans, have their own cultural identity based on their hunter-gatherer societies. They have been marginalised to a great extent, and many of their languages are in danger of becoming extinct.
Many white South Africans also speak other European languages, such as Portuguese (also spoken by black Angolans and Mozambicans), German, Serbian and Greek, while some Indians and other Asians in South Africa speak South Asian languages, such as Bhojpuri, Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu and Telugu. Although many South Africans are of Huguenot (French) origin, South African French is spoken by fewer than 10,000 individuals country-wide. Congolese French is also spoken in South Africa by migrants.
The primary sign language of deaf South Africans is South African Sign Language. Other sign languages among indigenous peoples are also used.
- Language maps in South Africa
By ethnicity
In 2011, the first language was Zulu for 28.1% of Black South African residents, Xhosa for 19.8%, Sepedi for 11.2%, Tswana for 9.7%, Sesotho for 9.3%, Tsonga for 5.5%, siSwati for 3.1%, Venda for 2.9%, English for 2.8%, Southern Ndebele for 2.6%, Afrikaans for 1.5%, while 3.4% had another first language.[29]
Among whites, Afrikaans was the first language for 59.1% of the population, compared to 35.0% for English. Other languages accounted for the remaining 5.9%.[29]
Religion
Template:Outdated section Template:Pie chart According to the 2022 national census, Christians accounted for 85.3% of the population.[1] This includesScript error: No such module "Unsubst". Protestant (36.6%), Zionist Christian (11.1%), Pentecostal/Charismatic (8.2%), Roman Catholic (7.1%), Methodist (6.8%), Dutch Reformed (6.7%), Anglican (3.8%); members of other Christian churches accounted for another 36% of the population. Muslims accounted for 1.5% of the population, Other 2.3%, and 1.4% were Unspecified and None 15.1%.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Muslims are largely found among the Coloured and Indian ethnic groups. They have been joined by black or white South African converts as well as immigrants from other parts of Africa.[30]
The Hindu population has its roots in the British colonial period, but later waves of immigration from India have also contributed to it. Most Hindus are of South Asian origin, but there are many who come from mixed racial stock. Some are converts due to the efforts of ISKCON.
Other minority religions in South Africa are Sikhism, Jainism, Baháʼí Faith and Judaism.[31]
By ethnicity
86.0% of black residents are Christian, 3.0% have no religion, 0.3% are Muslim, 0.0% are Jewish, 0.0% are Hindu, 9.5% Traditional African and 1.2% have other or undetermined beliefs (2022 Census).
90.1% of white residents are Christian, 4.9% have no religion, 0.3% are Muslim, 0.7% are Jewish, and 0.1% are Hindu. 3.9% have other or undetermined beliefs (2022 Census).
Other demographic statistics
The following demographics are from the CIA World Factbook[32] unless otherwise indicated.
Population
- 57,516,665 (2022 est.)
- 55,380,210 (July 2018 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 27.94% (male 7,894,742/female 7,883,266)
- 15-24 years: 16.8% (male 4,680,587/female 4,804,337)
- 25-54 years: 42.37% (male 12,099,441/female 11,825,193)
- 55-64 years: 6.8% (male 1,782,902/female 2,056,988)
- 65 years and over: 6.09% (2020 est.) (male 1,443,956/female 1,992,205)
- 0-14 years: 28.18% (male 7,815,651 /female 7,793,261)
- 15-24 years: 17.24% (male 4,711,480 /female 4,837,897)
- 25-54 years: 42.05% (male 11,782,848 /female 11,503,831)
- 55-64 years: 6.71% (male 1,725,034 /female 1,992,035)
- 65 years and over: 5.81% (male 1,351,991 /female 1,866,182) (2018 est.)
Birth rate
- 18.56 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 77th
- 19.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 78th
Death rate
- 9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 52nd
- 9.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 57th
Total fertility rate
- 2.18 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 90th
- 2.26 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 91st
Population growth rate
- 0.93% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 103rd
- 0.97% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 114th
Median age
- Total: 28 years. Country comparison to the world: 142nd
- Male: 27.9 years
- Female: 28.1 years (2020 est.)
- Total: 27.4 years. Country comparison to the world: 144th
- Male: 27.2 years
- Female: 27.6 years (2018 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
- 54.6% (2016)
Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 98th
- -0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 138th
Dependency ratios
- Total dependency ratio: 52.5 (2015 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio: 44.8 (2015 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio: 7.7 (2015 est.)
- Potential support ratio: 12.9 (2015 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population: 68.3% of total population (2022)
- Rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Urban population: 66.4% of total population (2018)
- Rate of urbanization: 1.97% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 65.32 years. Country comparison to the world: 202nd
- Male: 63.99 years
- Female: 66.68 years (2022 est.)
- Total population: 64.1 years (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- Degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
- Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout South Africa; as of 6 June 2022, South Africa has reported a total of 3,968,205 cases of COVID-19 or 6,690.7 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 101,317 cumulative deaths or a rate of 170.83 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 6 June 2022, 36.33% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Ethnic groups
- Black African 80.9%, coloured 8.8%, white 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.)
Languages
- isiZulu (official) 24.7%, isiXhosa (official) 15.6%, Afrikaans (official) 12.1%, Sepedi (official) 9.8%, Setswana (official) 8.9%, English (official) 8.4%, Sesotho (official) 8%, Xitsonga (official) 4%, siSwati (official) 2.6%, Tshivenda (official) 2.5%, Khoi, Nama, and San languages 1.9% isiNdebele (official) 1.6% (2017 est.)
- note: data represent language spoken most often at home
Education expenditures
- 6.8% of GDP (2020) Country comparison to the world: 22nd
- 6.1% of GDP (2017) Country comparison to the world: 34th
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
- Total population: 95%
- Male: 95.5%
- Female: 94.5% (2019)
- Total population: 94.4%
- Male: 95.4%
- Female: 95.4% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- Total: 14 years
- Male: 13 years
- Female: 14 years (2019)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
- Total: 59.4%
- Male: 55.4%
- Female: 64.1% (2020 est.)
Immigration
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". South Africa hosts a sizeable refugee and asylum seeker population. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007.[33] Groups of refugees and asylum seekers numbering over 10,000 included people from Zimbabwe (48,400), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (24,800), and Somalia (12,900).[33] These populations mainly lived in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth.[33] Many refugees have now also started to work and live in rural areas in provinces such as Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
Statistics SA assumes in some of their calculations that there are fewer than 2 million immigrants in South Africa.[34] Other institutions, like the police and Médecins Sans Frontières place estimate the figure at 4 million.[35][36][37][38]
Immigration figures
Main countries of immigration in South Africa according to the 2011 Census and 2022 Census:
Immigration assumptions by Statistics South Africa to South Africa based on race. Negative numbers represent net migration from South Africa to other countries.[39]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
| Year | African | Asian | White |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-2000 | 632 633 | 36 908 | -202 868 |
| 2001-2006 | 565 916 | 25 310 | -99 574 |
| 2006-2011 | 815 780 | 43 222 | -106 787 |
| 2011-2016 | 972 995 | 54 697 | -111 346 |
| 2016-2021 | 894 365 | 49 584 | -90 956 |
Urbanisation
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".
"Urban areas contain about two-thirds of the population; many of these consist of huge informal or squatter settlements."[40]
Graphs and maps
-
Population pyramid by population group, 2011
-
Black population
-
White population
-
Coloured population
-
Indian population
See also
- Statistics South Africa
- South African National Census of 2001
- South African National Census of 2011
- Afrikaans-speaking population of South Africa
- Jewish population of South Africa
- Ethnic groups in South Africa by municipality
References
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Smuts I: The Sanguine Years 1870–1919, W.K. Hancock, Cambridge University Press, 1962, pg 219
- ↑ The Statesman's Year-Book, 1967–1968 (104th annual edition), edited by S.H. Steinberg, Macmillan, London; St. Martin's Press, New York, 1967, pages 1405–1424
- ↑ The Europa Year Book 1969, Volume II: Africa, The Americas, Asia, Australasia, Europa Publications, London, 1969, page 1286
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/P03014_Census_2022_Statistical_Release.pdf Template:Bare URL PDF
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". taken from Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- REDIRECT Template:Source-attribution
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ South African Police Service 2009 Annual Report Template:Webarchive page 9 indicating the number exceeds 3 million
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Further reading
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
External links
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
- Sunday Standard article on Zimbabwe Refugee Crisis
- Contains information on the South African middle class
- Middle Class in South Africa-Significance, role and impact
Template:Demographics of South Africa Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Country topics Script error: No such module "Navbox".