The 2009 mid-year population of South Africa was estimated at 49,32-million, Statistics SA said on Monday.
Blacks were in the majority (39,14-million) and constituted just more than 79% of the total population, the Pretoria-based agency said.
The white population was estimated at 4,47-million, the coloured population at 4,43-million and the Indian/Asian population at 1,28-million.
Statistics SA said that 52% (25,45-million) of the population was female.
The agency said the implied rate of growth for the South African population had declined between 2001 and 2009.
”The estimated overall growth rate declined from approximately 1,38% between 2001 and 2002 to 1,07% for 2007 to 2009.
”The growth rate for females is lower than that of males,” Statistics SA said.
The agency found that at 2009 mid-year about one-third of the population was aged 0 to 14 years and about 7,5% was older than 60 years.
Statistics SA found that the total number of persons living with HIV in South Africa had increased from an estimated 4,1-million in 2001 to 5,2-million by 2009.
”For 2009, an estimated 10,6% of the total population is HIV-positive,” it said.
Statistics SA said about one-fifth of South African women in their reproductive ages were HIV-positive. — Sapa