As of 2023, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 62.3 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority inhabited Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western-Eastern Cape. Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province in South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of over 16 million people according to the estimates. Cape Town, on the other hand, is the largest city in South Africa with nearly 3.43 million inhabitants in the same year, whereas Durban counted 3.12 million citizens. However, looking at cities including municipalities, Johannesburg ranks first. High rate of young population South Africa has a substantial population of young people. In 2024, approximately 34.3 percent of the people were aged 19 years or younger. Those aged 60 or older, on the other hand, made-up over 10 percent of the total population. Distributing South African citizens by marital status, approximately half of the males and females were classified as single in 2021. Furthermore, 29.1 percent of the men were registered as married, whereas nearly 27 percent of the women walked down the aisle. Youth unemployment Youth unemployment fluctuated heavily between 2003 and 2022. In 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 36 percent, followed by a significant increase to 45.5 percent in 2010. However, it fluctuated again and as of 2022, over 51 percent of the youth were registered as unemployed. Furthermore, based on a survey conducted on the worries of South Africans, some 64 percent reported being worried about employment and the job market situation.

As of 2022, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 60.6 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority (roughly 49.1 million) were Black Africans. Individuals with an Indian or Asian background formed the smallest population group, counting approximately 1.56 million people overall. Looking at the population from a regional perspective, Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province of South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of nearly 16 million people.

Increase in number of households

The total number of households increased annually between 2002 and 2022. Between this period, the number of households in South Africa grew by approximately 65 percent. Furthermore, households comprising two to three members were more common in urban areas (39.2 percent) than they were in rural areas (30.6 percent). Households with six or more people, on the other hand, amounted to 19.3 percent in rural areas, being roughly twice as common as those in urban areas.

Main sources of income

The majority of the households in South Africa had salaries or grants as a main source of income in 2019. Roughly 10.7 million drew their income from regular wages, whereas 7.9 million households received social grants paid by the government for citizens in need of state support.

As of 2024, South Africa's population increased, counting approximately 63 million inhabitants. Of these, roughly 27.5 million were aged 0-24, while 654,000 people were 80 years or older. Gauteng and Cape Town are the most populated South Africa’s yearly population growth has been fluctuating since 2013, with the growth rate dropping below the world average in 2024. The majority of people lived in the borders of Gauteng, the smallest of the nine provinces in terms of land area. The number of people residing there amounted to 16.6 million in 2023. Although the Western Cape was the third-largest province, the city of Cape Town had the highest number of inhabitants in the country, at 3.4 million. An underemployed younger population South Africa has a large population under 14, who will be looking for job opportunities in the future. However, the country's labor market has had difficulty integrating these youngsters. Specifically, as of the fourth quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate reached close to 60 percent and 384 percent among people aged 15-24 and 25–34 years, respectively. In the same period, some 27 percent of the individuals between 15 and 24 years were economically active, while the labor force participation rate was higher among people aged 25 to 34, at 74.3 percent.

This anonymized dataset contains demographic, epidemiological, treatment, and outcomes data of 224 patients diagnosed and treated for acute kidney injury at Helen Joseph Hospital between 1/7/2020 and 31/12/2021.

Unemployment Rate in South Africa decreased to 31.90 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 33.20 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - South Africa Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

GRT-Inspired HDSSThe GRT-INSPIRED (Gauteng Research Triangle) GRT-I) Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS), established in 2020, monitors the health and wellbeing of an intended cohort of approximately 100 000 people across three urban sites: Hillbrow, Atteridgeville West, and Melusi. Data are collected three times a year—one in-person household interview and two telephonic follow-ups. Each site is managed by a partner institution: the University of Johannesburg (Hillbrow South), Wits RHI (Hillbrow North), and the University of Pretoria (Atteridgeville and Melusi). All data are harmonised and contributed to the national SAPRIN longitudinal database.Baseline enumeration was conducted between 2021 and 2022, during which teams completed the initial count of dwellings, households, and individuals across the three sites. This period established the foundation of the cohort, confirmed residence patterns, mapped the study area, and provided the first comprehensive snapshot of demographic and socio-economic indicators. This baseline now serves as the reference point for all subsequent longitudinal follow-up.The platform aims to track population health, social wellbeing, and economic conditions over time. Core objectives include documenting births, deaths, and migration; monitoring household composition; tracking education outcomes; measuring socio-economic status; and assessing labour participation and the uptake of social protection measures.Data collection includes a household survey component and a verbal autopsy system for all deaths. The three study areas reflect diverse urban realities—from Hillbrow’s dense high-rise environment to the mixed formal and informal dwellings of Atteridgeville, to the rapidly growing informal settlement of Melusi—providing a broad picture of urban demographic and health dynamics.