South Africa’s population has grown by almost a quarter over the last decade to over 48-million, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
The estimate was released on Wednesday as part of the results of Stats SA’s 2007 Community Survey, the biggest household survey ever undertaken in South Africa.
The survey, based on responses from about 255 000 households, was instituted to fill the gap created when the government decided to have censuses every ten years, instead of every five.
The 1996 census count was 40,5-million, the 2001 census 44,8-million.
The survey also showed a significant increase in the percentage of households using electricity as their main source of lighting, cooking and heating.
The percentage of households with access to piped water had risen from the 84,5 in 2001 to 88,6. — Sapa