Demographics of South Africa

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. ==Population==

Earlier Censuses, 1904 to 2011 1904 Census South African population figures for the 1904 Census. 1960 Census Sources: ''Statesman's Year-Book 1967–1968; Europa Year Book'' 1969 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. 1996 Census Source: The People of South Africa: Population Census, 1996 2001 Census Source: Statistics South Africa: Census 2001 2011 Census Source: Census 2011: Census in Brief 2022 Census Source: Census 2022 Statistical Release Note: The 2022 South African census has been criticised for its inaccuracies, such as the overestimation of the Indian and White population. 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. All population estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand. UN population projections: 2019 to 2100 ==Vital statistics==

Vital statistics The following statistics are obtained from the mid-year population estimates published by Statistics South Africa: Age and race distribution Age distribution within each racial group By generation Racial composition of each age group in 2015 (estimates) By five-year cohorts Racial composition of each age group in 2020 (estimates) Source: Racial composition of each age group in 2022 (census) Demographic and Health Surveys Fertility rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate): Fertility rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) by ethnic group. Life expectancy Life expectancy at birth from 1950 to 2020 (UN World Population Prospects): ==Ethnic groups==

Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. The 2011 census figures for these groups were Black at 80.2%, White at 8.4%, Coloured at 8.8%, Indian/South Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%. 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, 8.9% in 2011 and 7.65% in 2022. Cape Coloureds replaced Whites as the largest minority group around 2010. File:South_Africa_2011_Black_African_population_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Blacks: 50,486,856 (81.45%) File:South_Africa_2011_Coloured_population_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Coloureds: 5,052,349 (8.15%) File:South_Africa_2011_White_population_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Whites: 4,504,252 (7.30%) File:South_Africa_2011_Indian_or_Asian_population_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Indians: 1,697,506 (2.74%) ==Languages==

South Africa has twelve official languages: 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%). 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. File:South_Africa_2011_Zulu_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Zulu language File:South_Africa_2011_Xhosa_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Xhosa language File:South_Africa_2011_Afrikaans_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Afrikaans language File:South_Africa_2011_English_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|English language File:South_Africa_2011_Northern_Sotho_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Pedi language File:South_Africa_2011_Tswana_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Tswana language File:South_Africa_2011_Sotho_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Sotho language File:South_Africa_2011_Tsonga_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Tsonga language File:South_Africa_2011_Swazi_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Swazi language File:South_Africa_2011_Venda_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Venda language File:South_Africa_2011_Ndebele_speakers_proportion_map.svg|alt=|Southern Ndebele language 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. 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%. ==Religion==

According to the 2022 national census, Christians accounted for 85.3% of the population. 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. 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 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==

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. 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. Other institutions, like the police and Médecins Sans Frontières place estimate the figure at 4 million. ==Urbanisation==

"Urban areas contain about two-thirds of the population; many of these consist of huge informal or squatter settlements." ==Graphs and maps==

File:South Africa Population Pyramid 2011 estimates.png|Population pyramid by population group, 2011 File:South Africa 2011 Black African population proportion map.svg|Black population File:South Africa 2011 White population proportion map.svg|White population File:South Africa 2011 Coloured population proportion map.svg|Coloured population File:South_Africa_2011_Indian_or_Asian_population_proportion_map.svg|Indian population ==See also==