Mid-year population estimates, 2011

27 Jul 2011

Statistics South Africa subscribes to the specifications of the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and publishes the population estimates for the country as a whole, and the nine provinces, annually. This release estimates the 2011 mid-year population of South Africa using the cohort-component methodology. The estimates are based on the latest available information but may change as new data become available.

• For 2011, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) estimates the mid-year population as 50,59 million.
• Approximately fifty-two percent (approximately 26,07 million) of the population is female.
• Gauteng comprises the largest share of the South African population. Approximately 11,3 million people (22,4%) live in this province. KwaZulu-Natal  is  the province with the second largest population, with 10,8 million people (21,4%) living in this province. With a population of approximately 1,10 million people (2,2%), Northern Cape remains the province with the smallest share of the South African population.
• Nearly one-third (31,3%) of the population is aged younger than 15 years and approximately 7,7% (3,9 million) is 60 years or older. Of those younger than 15 years, approximately 23% (3,66 million) live in KwaZulu-Natal and 19,4% (3,07 million) live in Gauteng.
• Migration is an important demographic process in shaping the age structure and distribution of the provincial population. For the period 2006-2011 it is estimated that approximately 215 000 people will migrate from the Eastern Cape; Limpopo is estimated to experience a net out-migration of just over 140 000 people. During the same period, Gauteng and Western Cape are estimated to experience a net inflow of migrants of approximately 367 100 and 95 600, respectively.
• Life expectancy at birth for 2011 is estimated at 54,9 years for males and 59,1 years for females.
• The infant mortality rate for 2011 is estimated at 37,9.
• The estimated overall HIV prevalence rate is approximately 10,6%. The total number of people living with HIV is estimated at approximately 5,38 million in 2011. An estimated 16,6% of the adult population aged 15-49 years is HIV positive.
• The number of new HIV infections for 2011 among the population aged 15 years and older is estimated at 316 900.
• An estimated 63 600 new HIV infections will be among children aged 0-14 years.

Statement issued by Statistics South Africa, July 27 2011

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