Total Population: 49,052,489 (July 2009 est.), ranked #24 behind United Kingdom (61,113,205) and Italy(58,126,212).
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.
Total Land and Water Area: 1,219,090 sq km, ranked #25 behind Angola (1,246,700 sq km) and Mali (1,240,192 sq km).
Age Profile:
- 0-14 years: 28.9%
- 15-64 years: 65.8%
- 65 years and over: 5.4%
Median age is 24.4, Average life expectancy is 48.98 years, ranked #212 in world
49.5 % Male
50.5 % Female
Ethnic groups: black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
Religions: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Languages: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 13 years
Literacy (defined as age 15 and over can read and write): 86.4% of the total population
Per Capita Gross National Income (at current prices in US Dollars):
$10,100 (2009 est.), ranked #107
Gross Domestic Product Contribution by Economic Sector and Top Industries:
64.4% Services
32.1% Industry
3.5% Agriculture (2009 est.)
Industries: mining (world’s largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Sources:
1) Central Intelligence Agency World Fact Book