| Demographics ofSouth Africa | |
|---|---|
 South Africapopulation pyramid in 2020 | |
| Population | 63 million (2024 est.)[1] |
| Density | 48.1/km2 (125/sq mi) |
| Growth rate | 1.33%[1]: 12 |
| Birth rate | 19.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)[1]: 7 |
| Death rate | 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)[1]: 7 |
| Life expectancy | 66.5 years (2024 est.)[1]: 8 |
| • male | 63.6 years (2024 est.)[1]: 8 |
| • female | 69.2 years (2024 est.)[1]: 8 |
| Fertility rate | 2.41 children born/woman (2024 est.)[1]: 4 |
| Infant mortality rate | 22.9 deaths/1,000 (2024 est.)[1]: 8 |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 28.8% (2019 est.)[citation needed] |
| 15–64 years | 65.2% (2019 est.)[citation needed] |
| 65 and over | 6% (2019 est.)[citation needed] |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)[citation needed] |
| At birth | 1.02 male(s)/female[citation needed] |
| Under 15 | 1 male(s)/female[citation needed] |
| 15–64 years | 1.02 male(s)/female[citation needed] |
| 65 and over | 0.68 male(s)/female[citation needed] |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | South African |
| Major ethnic | |
| Minor ethnic | |
| Language | |
| Official | Afrikaans · English · Xhosa · Sotho,Pedi · Zulu · Tswana · Swazi · Venda · Tsonga · Southern Ndebele |
| Spoken | Languages of South Africa |
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According to the 2022 census, the population ofSouth Africa is about 62 million people of diverse origins, cultures,languages, andreligions. With a majority being Black Africans.[3] TheSouth African National Census of 2022 was the most recent census held; the next will be in 2032.[4]
In 2011,Statistics South Africa counted 2.1 million foreigners in total.[5] Reports[specify] suggest that is an underestimation. The real figure may be as high as five million,[6] including some three millionZimbabweans.[7]
The earliest creatures that can be identified as human ancestors in South Africa areaustralopithecines. The first evidence of this was achild's skull found in theTaung quarry site. This was in the modern dayNorth-West province. Morefossils australopithecines were found in limestone cavesSterkfontein,Swartkrans, andKromdaai.[8]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2022) |
South African population figures for the 1904 Census.[9]
Colony Pop. Group | Cape Colony | Natal | Transvaal | Orange River Colony | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 1,424,787 | 904,041 | 937,127 | 225,101 | 3,491,056 | 67.5% |
| White | 579,741 | 97,109 | 297,277 | 142,690 | 1,116,805 | 21.6% |
| Coloured | 395,034 | 6,686 | 24,226 | 19,282 | 445,228 | 8.6% |
| Indian | 10,242 | 100,918 | 11,321 | 253 | 122,734 | 2.4% |
| Total | 2,409,804 | 1,108,754 | 1,269,951 | 387,315 | 5,175,463 | 100.0% |
| % of S. Africa | 46.6% | 21.4% | 24.5% | 7.5% | 100% |
Sources:Statesman's Year-Book 1967–1968;[10]Europa Year Book 1969[11]
Province Pop. Group | 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 | 68.3% |
| White | 1,003,207 | 340,235 | 1,468,305 | 276,745 | 3,088,492 | 19.3% |
| Coloured | 1,330,089 | 45,253 | 108,007 | 25,909 | 1,509,258 | 9.4% |
| Indian | 18,477 | 394,854 | 63,787 | 7 | 477,125 | 3.0% |
| Total | 5,362,853 | 2,980,262 | 6,273,477 | 1,386,547 | 16,003,139 | 100.0% |
| % of S. Africa | 33.5% | 18.6% | 39.2% | 8.7% | 100% |
Bantustan demographics were removed from South African census data duringApartheid and for this reason official figures on the national population of the country during that period will be inaccurate.[12]
| Year | Blacks | Whites | Coloureds | Asians | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popu- lation (1,000 people) | % | Popu- lation (1,000 people) | % | Popu- lation (1,000 people) | % | Popu- lation (1,000 people) | % | Popu- lation (1,000 people) | Area included | ||||||
| 1904 | 4,019 | 67.3% | 1,117 | 21.6% | 445 | 8.6% | 122 | 2.4% | 5,174 | South Africa | |||||
| 1911 | 3,490 | 67.5% | 1,276 | 21.4% | 525 | 8.8% | 152 | 2.6% | 5,972 | South Africa | |||||
| 1921 | 4,697 | 67.8% | 1,521 | 22.0% | 545 | 7.9% | 163 | 2.4% | 6,926 | South Africa | |||||
| 1936 | 6,596 | 68.8% | 2,003 | 20.9% | 769 | 8.0% | 220 | 2.3% | 9,588 | South Africa | |||||
| 1946 | 7,830 | 68.6% | 2,372 | 20.8% | 928 | 8.1% | 285 | 2.5% | 11,415 | South Africa | |||||
| 1951 | 8,560 | 67.6% | 2,642 | 20.9% | 1,103 | 8.7% | 367 | 2.9% | 12,672 | South Africa | |||||
| 1960 | 10,928 | 68.3% | 3,088 | 19.3% | 1,509 | 9.4% | 477 | 3.0% | 16,002 | South Africa | |||||
| 1970 | 11,891 | 64.9% | 3,759 | 20.5% | 2,039 | 11.1% | 630 | 3.4% | 18,319 | South Africa -excludingTranskei,Bophuthatswana,Venda &Ciskei | |||||
| 1970 | 15,340 | 70.4% | 3,773 | 17.3% | 2,051 | 9.4% | 630 | 2.9% | 21,794 | South Africa | |||||
| 1980 | 13,135 | 63.9% | 4,221 | 20.5% | 2,459 | 12.0% | 748 | 3.6% | 20,563 | South Africa -excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana & Venda | |||||
| 1980 | 16,992 | 68.0% | 4,512 | 18.1% | 2,688 | 10.8% | 803 | 3.2% | 24,995 | South Africa -estimate | |||||
| 1985 | 15,163 | 64.8% | 4,569 | 19.5% | 2,833 | 12.1% | 821 | 3.51% | 23,386 | South Africa -excluding Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda & Ciskei | |||||
| 1985 | 19,052 | 68.8% | 4,837 | 17.5% | 2,396 | 8.7% | 879 | 3.2% | 27,704 | South Africa -estimate | |||||
| Year | Blacks | Whites | Coloureds | Asians | Total | Area included | |||||||||
Source:The People of South Africa: Population Census, 1996[13]
| map | Population Group → Province ↓ | Black | White | Coloured | Indian/ Asian | Other | Total | % of S.A. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Northern Cape | 278,633 | 111,844 | 435,368 | 2,268 | 12,208 | 840,321 | 2.1% |
2 | Western Cape | 826,691 | 821,551 | 2,146,109 | 40,376 | 122,148 | 3,956,875 | 9.7% |
3 | Eastern Cape | 5,448,495 | 330,294 | 468,532 | 19,356 | 35,849 | 6,302,525 | 15.5% |
4 | KwaZulu-Natal | 6,880,652 | 558,182 | 117,951 | 790,813 | 69,423 | 8,417,021 | 20.7% |
5 | Mpumalanga | 2,497,834 | 253,392 | 20,283 | 13,083 | 16,120 | 2,800,711 | 6.9% |
6 | Free State | 2,223,940 | 316,459 | 79,038 | 2,805 | 11,262 | 2,633,504 | 6.5% |
7 | Gauteng | 5,147,444 | 1,702,343 | 278,692 | 161,289 | 58,654 | 7,348,423 | 18.1% |
8 | Northern Province (Limpopo) | 4,765,255 | 117,878 | 7,821 | 5,510 | 32,904 | 4,929,368 | 12.1% |
9 | North West | 3,058,686 | 222,755 | 46,652 | 10,097 | 16,635 | 3,354,825 | 8.3% |
 | South Africa Total | 31,127,631 | 4,434,697 | 3,600,446 | 1,045,596 | 375,204 | 40,583,573 | 100% |
| Percent | 76.7% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 2.6% | 0.9% | 100% | ||
| Population Group → | Black | White | Coloured | Asian | Other | Total | % of RSA |
Source:Statistics South Africa: Census 2001[14]
Province Pop. Group | 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 | 79.0% |
| White | 304,506 | 238,791 | 1,758,398 | 483,448 | 126,276 | 203,244 | 102,042 | 244,035 | 832,901 | 4,293,640 | 9.6% |
| Coloured | 478,807 | 83,193 | 337,974 | 141,887 | 10,163 | 22,158 | 424,389 | 56,959 | 2,438,976 | 3,994,505 | 8.9% |
| Indian | 18,372 | 3,719 | 218,015 | 798,275 | 8,587 | 11,244 | 2,320 | 9,906 | 45,030 | 1,115,467 | 2.5% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| % of S.A. | 14.4% | 6.0% | 19.7% | 21.0% | 11.8% | 7.0% | 1.8% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 100% |
Source:Census 2011: Census in Brief[15]
Province Pop. Group | 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 | 79.2% |
| Coloured | 541,850 | 83,844 | 423,594 | 141,376 | 14,415 | 36,611 | 461,899 | 71,409 | 2,840,404 | 4,615,401 | 8.9% |
| White | 310,450 | 239,026 | 1,913,884 | 428,842 | 139,359 | 303,595 | 81,246 | 255,385 | 915,053 | 4,586,838 | 8.9% |
| Indian/Asian | 27,929 | 10,398 | 356,574 | 756,991 | 17,881 | 27,917 | 7,827 | 20,652 | 60,761 | 1,286,930 | 2.5% |
| Other | 21,595 | 6,790 | 84,527 | 27,170 | 8,459 | 9,597 | 17,903 | 10,444 | 93,969 | 280,454 | 0.5% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| % of S.A. | 12.7% | 5.3% | 23.7% | 19.8% | 10.4% | 7.8% | 2.2% | 7.1% | 11.2% | 100% |
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
Source:Census 2022 Statistical Release[16]
Province Pop. Group | 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 | 81.4% |
| Coloured | 547,741 | 78,141 | 443,857 | 183,019 | 18,409 | 32,100 | 563,605 | 60,720 | 3,124,757 | 5,052,349 | 8.2% |
| White | 403,061 | 235,915 | 1,509,800 | 513,377 | 167,524 | 185,731 | 99,150 | 171,887 | 1,217,807 | 4,504,252 | 7.3% |
| Indian | 37,568 | 12,978 | 329,736 | 1,157,542 | 35,958 | 25,882 | 10,824 | 2,654 | 84,363 | 1,697,506 | 2.7% |
| Other | 48,339 | 4,274 | 35,890 | 27,442 | 7,172 | 440 | 2,667 | 5,894 | 115,235 | 247,353 | 0.4% |
| 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 | 100.0% |
| % of S.A. | 11.7% | 4.8% | 24.3% | 20.0% | 10.6% | 8.3% | 2.2% | 6.1% | 12.0% | 100% |
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100,000 | — |
| 1000 | 300,000 | +0.11% |
| 1500 | 600,000 | +0.14% |
| 1600 | 700,000 | +0.15% |
| 1700 | 1,000,000 | +0.36% |
| 1820 | 1,550,000 | +0.37% |
| 1870 | 2,547,000 | +1.00% |
| 1904 | 5,175,463 | +2.11% |
| 1911 | 5,972,757 | +2.07% |
| 1913 | 6,153,000 | +1.50% |
| 1921 | 6,927,403 | +1.49% |
| 1936 | 9,587,863 | +2.19% |
| 1946 | 11,415,925 | +1.76% |
| 1950 | 13,683,162 | +4.63% |
| 1955 | 15,384,557 | +2.37% |
| 1960 | 17,396,367 | +2.49% |
| 1970 | 22,502,502 | +2.61% |
| 1980 | 29,077,143 | +2.60% |
| 1990 | 36,793,490 | +2.38% |
| 1995 | 41,426,810 | +2.40% |
| 2001 | 44,819,777 | +1.32% |
| 2007 | 48,502,063 | +1.32% |
| 2011 | 51,770,560 | +1.64% |
| 2016 | 55,653,654 | +1.46% |
| 2022 | 62,027,503 | +1.82% |
| Note: Population estimates (1 AD - 1870 AD) are deduced from quantitative macroeconomic historical calculations. 1 (est.), 1000 (est.), 1500 (est.), 1600 (est.), 1700 (est.), 1820 (est.), 1870 (est.), 1913,[17] 1904[9]1904-1946,[18][19][20] 1950-2010,[21]2001,2011, 2015[22] | ||
According to the 2019 revision of theUnited Nations Secretariat'sWorld 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.[23] 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 | 38.2% | 57.7% | 4.1% |
| 1955 | 15,207,000 | 39.5% | 56.5% | 3.9% |
| 1960 | 17,100,000 | 40.8% | 55.4% | 3.9% |
| 1965 | 19,385,000 | 41.9% | 54.3% | 3.8% |
| 1970 | 22,070,000 | 41.6% | 54.7% | 3.8% |
| 1975 | 25,195,000 | 41.2% | 55.0% | 3.8% |
| 1980 | 28,557,000 | 40.9% | 55.3% | 3.9% |
| 1985 | 32,679,000 | 40.8% | 55.4% | 3.9% |
| 1990 | 36,801,000 | 40.1% | 55.9% | 4.0% |
| 1995 | 41,436,000 | 37.3% | 58.4% | 4.3% |
| 2000 | 44,968,000 | 33.9% | 61.6% | 4.5% |
| 2005 | 47,881,000 | 30.9% | 64.5% | 4.6% |
| 2010 | 51,217,000 | 29.7% | 65.6% | 4.8% |
| 2015 | 55,386,000 | 29.3% | 65.7% | 5.0% |
| 2020 | 59,309,000 | 28.8% | 65.7% | 5.5% |
| 2025 | 62,803,000 | 27.4% | 66.5% | 6.1% |
| 2030 | 65,956,000 | 25.8% | 67.6% | 6.7% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 58,558,000 | — |
| 2030 | 65,956,000 | +1.09% |
| 2050 | 75,518,000 | +0.68% |
| 2100 | 79,191,000 | +0.10% |
| Note that the average percentage changes are per year (per annum), and not the total change over the period between estimates Source:United Nations Secretariat[24] | ||
The following statistics are obtained from the mid-year population estimates published byStatistics South Africa:[1]
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
| 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 |
| Province | 2021–2026 (est.) |
|---|---|
 Limpopo | 3.03 |
 Eastern Cape | 2.87 |
 Northern Cape | 2.63 |
 KwaZulu-Natal | 2.53 |
 North West (South African province) | 2.52 |
 Mpumalanga | 2.27 |
 Free State | 2.27 |
 Western Cape | 2.01 |
 Gauteng | 1.82 |
ThePopulation Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.[23] (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 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 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 |
| Age group | All races | Black African | Coloured | White | Indian or other Asian | Others | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| 0–14 | 15,100,089 | 29.2% | 12,702,324 | 31.0% | 1,311,811 | 28.4% | 771,187 | 16.8% | 258,602 | 20.1% | 56,164 | 20.0% |
| 15–64 | 33,904,479 | 65.5% | 26,502,329 | 64.6% | 3,085,684 | 66.9% | 3,165,965 | 68.9% | 939,379 | 73.0% | 211,126 | 75.3% |
| 65-plus | 2,765,992 | 5.3% | 1,796,285 | 4.4% | 217,906 | 4.7% | 649,686 | 14.2% | 88,949 | 6.9% | 13,164 | 4.7% |
| All ages | 51,770,560 | 100% | 41,000,938 | 100% | 4,615,401 | 100% | 4,586,838 | 100% | 1,286,930 | 100% | 280,454 | 100% |
| % of SA | 100% | 79.20% | 8.92% | 8.86% | 2.49% | 0.54% | ||||||
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 | 30.23% | 14,244,663 | 32.21% | 1,288,601 | 26.66% | 789,492 | 17.41% | 289,285 | 21.24% |
| 15–64 | 35,465,499 | 64.53% | 28,170,797 | 63.69% | 3,299,771 | 68.28% | 3,026,475 | 66.75% | 968,649 | 71.12% |
| 65-plus | 2,879,378 | 5.24% | 1,812,535 | 4.10% | 244,544 | 5.06% | 718,041 | 15.84% | 104.068 | 7.64% |
| 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 | 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% | |||||
Source:[25]
| 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% | |||||
Fertility rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):[26]
| 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 at birth from 1950 to 2020 (UN World Population Prospects):[27]
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
| Period | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 48.5 |
| 1955–1960 |  51.3 |
| 1960–1965 | 53.0 |
| 1965–1970 | 54.8 |
| 1970–1975 | 56.7 |
| 1975–1980 | 57.3 |
| 1980–1985 | 58.4 |
| 1985–1990 | 61.0 |
| 1990–1995 | 62.3 |
| 1995–2000 |  59.2 |
| 2000–2005 | 53.8 |
| 2005–2010 | 53.1 |
| 2010–2015 | 59.5 |
| 2015–2020 | 63.7 |
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org. |
.svg)
Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of fiveracial population groups.[29] The2011 census figures for these groups wereAfrican at 80.2%,White at 8.4%,Coloured at 8.8%,Indian/Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%.[30]
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,[31] 8.9% in 2011 and 7.65% in 2022.[32]: 21 Coloured South Africans replaced Whites as the largest minority group around 2010.
South Africa has twelveofficial languages:[33]isiZulu[30] 24.4%,isiXhosa[30] 16.3%,Afrikaans[30] 10.6%,English[30] 8.7%,Sepedi[30] 10.0%,Setswana[30] 8.3%,Sesotho[30] 7.8%,Xitsonga[30] 4.7%,siSwati[30] 2.8%,Tshivenda[30] 2.5%,isiNdebele[30] 1.7% andSouth African Sign Language.[34]
In this regard, it is third only toBolivia andIndia in number. While all the languages are formally equal, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the2022 census, the three most spoken languages in the household are Zulu (24.4%), Xhosa (16.3%), and Afrikaans (10.6%).[3]
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%[35]
The country also recognises several unofficial languages, includingSekholokoe,Fanagalo,Khwe,Lobedu,Nama,Northern Ndebele,Phuthi andSan.[36] 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 theSan andKhoikhoi people containregional dialects stretching northwards intoNamibia andBotswana, 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 becomingextinct.
Many white South Africans also speak otherEuropean languages, such asPortuguese (also spoken by blackAngolans andMozambicans),German,Serbian andGreek, while some Indians and other Asians in South Africa speakSouth Asian languages, such asBhojpuri,Tamil,Hindi,Gujarati,Urdu andTelugu. Although many South Africans are ofHuguenot (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 ofdeaf South Africans isSouth African Sign Language. Othersign languages among indigenous peoples are also used.
In 2011, the first language wasZulu 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.[37]
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%.[37]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2020) |
According to the 2022 national census,Christians accounted for 85.3% of the population.[3] This includes[when?]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%.[citation needed]
Muslims are largely found among theColoured andIndian ethnic groups. They have been joined by black or white South African converts as well as immigrants from other parts of Africa.[39] South African Muslims claim that their faith is the fastest-growing religion of conversion in the country, with the number of black Muslims growing sixfold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004.[39][40]
TheHindu population has its roots in theBritish 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 ofISKCON.
Other minority religions in South Africa areSikhism,Jainism,Baháʼí Faith andJudaism.[41]
86.0% of black residents are Christian, 3.0% haveno religion, 0.3% are Muslim, 0.0% areJewish, 0.0% areHindu, 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).
The following demographics are from theCIA World Factbook[42] unless otherwise indicated.
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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
South Africa hosts a sizeablerefugee andasylum seeker population. According to theWorld Refugee Survey 2008, published by theU.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007.[43] Groups of refugees and asylum seekers numbering over 10,000 included people fromZimbabwe (48,400), theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (24,800), andSomalia (12,900).[43] These populations mainly lived inJohannesburg,Pretoria,Durban,Cape Town, andPort Elizabeth.[43] Many refugees have now also started to work and live in rural areas in provinces such asMpumalanga andKwaZulu-Natal.
Statistics SA assumes in some of their calculations that there are fewer than 2 million immigrants in South Africa.[44] Other institutions, like the police andMédecins Sans Frontières place estimate the figure at 4 million.[45][46][47][48]
Main countries of immigration in South Africa according to the 2011 Census and 2022 Census:
| Source:2022 South African census[49] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Population, 2011 | Population, 2022 | Difference |
 Zimbabwe | 672,308 | 1,012,059 | 339,751 |
 Mozambique | 393,231 | 416,564 | 23,333 |
 Lesotho | 160,806 | 227,770 | 66,964 |
 Malawi | 86,606 | 198,807 | 112,201 |
 United Kingdom | 81,720 | 61,282 | -20,438 |
 Ethiopia | 28,230 | 58,131 | 29,901 |
 Namibia | 40,575 | 36,140 | -4,435 |
 India | 31,165 | 27,350 | -3,815 |
 Nigeria | 26,341 | 24,718 | -1,623 |
 Zambia | 30,054 | 24,625 | -5,429 |
 Congo | 26,061 | 23,328 | -2,733 |
 Bangladesh | 19,696 | 20,894 | 1,198 |
 DRC | 25,630 | 17,635 | -7,995 |
 Somalia | 26,116 | 15,838 | -10,278 |
 Pakistan | 17,241 | 15,006 | -2,235 |
 Germany | 20,494 | 12,139 | -8,355 |
 Botswana | 12,316 | 8,976 | -3,340 |
 Portugal | 15,626 | 7,615 | -8,011 |
Immigration assumptions by Statistics South Africa to South Africa based on race. Negative numbers represent net migration from South Africa to other countries.[50]
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| 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 |
"Urban areas contain about two-thirds of the population; many of these consist of huge informal orsquatter settlements."[51]
Others pointed out that the repeal of the Population Registration Act in 1991 removed any legal basis for specifying 'race'. The Identification Act of 1997 makes no mention of race. On the other hand, the Employment Equity Act speaks of 'designated groups' being 'black people, women and people with disabilities'. The Act defines 'black' as referring to 'Africans, coloureds and Indians'. Apartheid and the racial identification which underpinned it explicitly linked race with differential access to resources and power. If the post-apartheid order was committed to remedying this, race would have to be included in surveys and censuses, so that progress in eradicating the consequences of apartheid could be measured and monitored. This was the reasoning that led to a 'self-identifying' question about 'race' or 'population group' in both the 1996 and 2001 population censuses, and in Statistics SA's household survey programme.
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