Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

South Africa Population Pyramid 1978

South Africa
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1978
Population: 27,869,507

Year

-5 -1   1978  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

South Africa in 1978

In 1978, South Africa had a total population of 27,869,508 people. A decade earlier, in 1968, the population was 20,957,287; it has grown by 33.0% since.

With a median age of 19.2 years, South Africa had a youth dependency ratio of 75.7 and an old-age dependency ratio of 6.9 per 100 people of working age. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.

Ranks #28 of 201 by population Ranks #102 of 201 by median age Ranks #52 of 201 by growth

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for South Africa
Population
27,869,508
Median age
19.2
0-14 %
41.5%
65+ %
3.8%
Child dependency
75.7
Old-age dependency
6.9
Region
AFRICA
Pyramid shape
Expansive
Population 2050
79,177,328
Population 2100
94,314,448
What is driving the change
Births per woman
Total fertility rate, 1960–2023
1234567
1960Replacement level (2.1)2023 · 2.22

In 2023 women in South Africa had on average 2.22 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

Life expectancy at birth
Years, 1960–2023
Total Women Men
4050607080
19602023 · 66.1

Life expectancy at birth was 66.1 years in 2023: 69.6 for women and 62.6 for men.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
20406080
19502100
Migration to and from South Africa
Where immigrants come from (2024)

2,572,289 immigrants live in South Africa, 4.0% of the population.

Zimbabwe1,072,620
Mozambique412,058
Lesotho237,718
Malawi220,437
Ethiopia104,402
Where emigrants live (2024)

1,004,485 people born in South Africa live in other countries.

United Kingdom245,446
Australia213,447
United States of America161,507
New Zealand101,970
Canada52,600
Explore
Immigration statistics Origin of migrant stocks map

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

How South Africa compares with its neighbours
Country Population Median age Relative size
South Africa 27,869,508 19.2
Lesotho 1,327,240 18.9
Namibia 947,269 17.0
Botswana 849,239 16.6
Swaziland 558,446 15.8
Frequently asked questions about South Africa's population
How many people lived in South Africa in 1978?
In 1978, South Africa's population was 27,869,508.
Is South Africa's population growing or shrinking?
Yes, growing: up 33.0% from 1968, with a projected population of 79,177,328 in 2050.
How old is the population of South Africa?
The median age in South Africa is 19.2 years — half the population is younger, half older.
How many children and older people live in South Africa?
3.8% of South Africa's population is 65 or older, and 41.5% is under 15.
What shape is South Africa's population pyramid, and what does it mean?
South Africa has an expansive pyramid: a wide base of young cohorts reflecting high fertility and continued population growth.

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