The size of an average South African household has declined from 4,48 in 1996 to 3,69 people in 2005, researchers said on Monday.
A study conducted by the University of South Africa revealed that this decline was a result of the impact of HIV/Aids, urbanisation, lower fertility and greater preference of single-person households.
However, this did not imply that the South African population growth has decreased, Professor Carel van Aardt said.
”This is mainly due to a number of factors, including household mitosis whereby a single family divides into two, mainly through a divorce process where father would go out to live on his own, leaving the mother with the children,” Van Aardt said.
”Another reason could be when children leave their parents earlier on to stay on their own elsewhere.”
This trend of families declining in numbers or splitting into two households was expected to continue up until 2021, although the population growth would still go up, he said.
”While the total number of households in South Africa has increased from an estimated 9 059 571 in 1996 to an estimated 12 726 000 in 2005, the average household size has declined from about 4,48 to 3,69 over the same period.”
Van Aardt’s research showed that while African households were expected to increase by 60,7% over the 14-year period, their population growth was expected to be at 15,4%.
In contrast to African families, Asian and Coloured population groups were expected to experience low population growth but high household growth patterns, he said.
The white population was expected to drop by 8,2%, although this did not hamper their household growth patterns, which were expected to increase by 4,3%.
”This disparity could also be explained by a growing preference for smaller households, household mitosis leading to more single-person, and also single-parent, households,” he said. — Sapa