South Africa’s white population is still shrinking
Statistics South Africa has published it latest mid-year
population estimates, showing that there are over 1.2 million
more people in the country than a year ago.
Stats SA reported that South Africa’s population is now
estimated at 57.7 million people, up just over 2% from the 56.5
million reported in 2017.
In the group’s breakdown of the data, it includes demographic
shifts, showing how South Africa’s various population groups
are changing.
The 2018 estimations show that there has been a turn in the
white South African population numbers, which has seen steady
decline over the past five years.
There are estimated to be 4.52 million white South Africans in
the country in 2018, up from 4.49 million in 2017 – an increase
of almost 27,000.
However, this swing is not enough to counter the shrinking of
the white population in the country seen since 2013.
Between 2013 and 2018, Stat SA’s data shows that the white
population in South Africa saw a net decline of 82,300 people.
The white population has also shrunk to its lowest proportion,
now accounting for only 7.8% of the total population.
This decline stands in contrast to all other demographics in
South Africa which show solid increases, year on year.
South Africa’s black African population has grown from 38.5
million people in 2008 to 46.7 million in 2018 (80.9% of the
total); the coloured population has grown from 4.4 million
people in 2008 to 5.07 million in 2018 (8.8%); and the
Indian/Asian population has grown from 1.24 million people to
1.45 million people over the same period (2.5%).
According to the data, the shrinking population can largely be
attributed to emigration, with Stats SA showing that over
612,000 white South Africans will have left the country since
between 1985 and 2021 – 430,000 of which will have left in the
20 year period between 2001 and 2021 (at a rate of 21,000 a
year, in-line with most of the population declines).
Between 2016 and 2021, South Africa is expected to have 1.02
million more people in the country due to migration.
As many as 1.072 million black Africans are expected to make
South Africa home, along with 59,432 Indian or Asian people.
115,000 white South Africans are expected to migrate out of the
country.
Read: South Africa’s population hits 57.7
million
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