South Africa’s population surpasses 63-million, life expectancy improves

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal account for about 45% of South Africa’s population, which now surpasses 63-million.

Stats SA's latest midyear population estimates for 2024 state the country’s population grew by about 835,513 people, marking a 1.33% increase from July 2023 to July 2024.

Provincial population estimates indicate Gauteng remains the most populous province with nearly 16-million residents. KwaZulu-Natal follows with a population of 12.3-million. The Western Cape is next with 7.5-million people and the Eastern Cape 7.1-million. Limpopo is the fifth most populous province with just more than 5-million residents. The Northern Cape is the least populated province, home to just less than 1.4-million people.

Life expectancy, the average number of years a person can expect to live based on current mortality rates, has increased significantly, reflecting advances in medicine, public health and socioeconomic development.

South Africa faced two pandemics between 2002 and 2024: Aids, which has caused a gradual loss of life over decades, and Covid-19, which led to a sharp increase in mortality within months.

According to the report, life expectancy at birth is now 66.5 years, a significant increase from the estimated 53.6 years in 2005, reflecting improvements in the overall health and living conditions of the population.

Stats SA said three main factors have influenced this: the expanded rollout of antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV; vaccinations and treatments for Covid-19; and fewer babies dying at birth.

Aids-related deaths dropped from 284,249 in 2005 (42% of all deaths) to 68,406 in 2024 (12.5% of all deaths).

The infant mortality rate has decreased from an estimated 57 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2002 to 22.9 per 1,000 live births in 2024.

Stats SA said the crude death rate (CDR), which measures the annual rate of deaths per 1,000 people, peaked at 11.1 in 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. By 2024, the CDR had dropped to 8.7, reflecting the positive impact of Covid-19 interventions.

The elderly growth rate dropped from 2.88% in 2019–2020 to 1.65% in 2020–2021 due to the pandemic but has since recovered to 2.11% in 2021–2022.

According to the 2024 estimates, about 27.5% of the population is younger than 15, while about 9.7% (6.1-million) are aged 60 or older.

Among those younger than 15, most live in KwaZulu-Natal (21.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%). For the elderly, the highest percentage, 24.8% (1.52-million), live in Gauteng. 

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