South Africa’s population nears 60 million

South Africa’s population nears 60 million

There are 59,62 million people living in South Africa, Statistics South Africa’s 2020 midyear population estimates revealed on Thursday.

SA population has increased
File photo

This means the country’s population has shot up by almost two million over the past two years.


 Stats SA made the report public in Pretoria on Thursday morning.


Gauteng remains the most populous province, with approximately 15,5 million of the country’s residents living in the economic hub.


Stats SA’s Diego Iturralde says KwaZulu-Natal has the second-largest population with approximately 11,5 million residents.


“The Northern Cape maintained its status as the province with the lowest population in the country with a population estimated at 1,29 million people. The report indicates that approximately 51,1%, or approximately 30,5 million, of the population is female.”


Gauteng and the Western Cape are projected to experience the largest inflow of migrants between 2016 and 2021.


About 28.6% of the population is younger than 15 years, with the majority living in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.


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