South Africa’s population hits 60 million
South Africa's population has increased to 60.6 million people, according to a new report compiled by Stats SA.
The country's statistician-general Risenga Maluleke released the 2022 mid-year population estimates in Pretoria on Thursday.
The report shows an increase of 640 074 people since the middle of 2021.
More than half of the population (34.8 million) live in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape provinces.
Maluleke said Gauteng had increased its share of the total population by 5.7% between 2002 and 2022.
South Africa maintained a positive growth rate despite the large number of deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"As the nation grappled with the pandemic, it brought attention not only to the importance of healthcare and other social services required by people, but also to the age profile of the population and the vulnerability of key populations in the country,” Maluleka said.
“The elderly population, who are more vulnerable to having comorbidities, are more likely to experience the devastating effects of Covid-19. The vast number of deaths within this age group occurring during the Covid-19 pandemic led to a drastic decline in the growth rate (1.47%) of the elderly population.”
Maluleke said migration was most keenly felt in Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Gauteng.
Gauteng and the Western Cape are home to the largest number of international migrants.
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